Final Fantasy VII: Orchrist
by Tarranon
Summary: Old friends are scattered, and the people of the planet struggle to survive. When a mysterious figure emerges to either save or destroy humanity, Tifa seeks Cloud's help once more. But after all that has happened, does Cloud even have the will to fight?
1. Chapter 1: A New Journey

There are always times that test the heart- such is the fate of mankind. Evil is always waiting for the chance to strike; however, evil can only conquer when good men and women do nothing.

FINAL FANTASY VII: Orchrist

They had all felt it. The listless wandering from one day to the next had been so much a part of their lives before he came. After that, the countless adventures and trials they had all shared helped to ease the mental unrest.

It was only then that they had finally found a true purpose- a solidarity that held them together even through the most tortuous of tribulations. The path they had to tread was mercifully unequivocal with little room for deviation in their relentless pursuit of that ever-elusive goal.

But it would never last. Once their only calling had been fulfilled, the insouciant pattern returned with renewed vigor. Indeed, without any true sort of semblance, friendships dissolved into so much as dust that in turn scattered to all the corners of the globe. The light each had so cherished died, taking with it any hope that one day the friends may reunite.

So it was that one Tifa Lockhart returned to the only métier she knew, unknowing that for the first time in two years, things were going to change for the better.

Or worse.

FFVII

"Yo, Tifa!" a frantic patron shouted over the racket.

Tifa merely regarded him incredulously. It was the same man who had called her not five minutes ago to tell her he was ready to pay his tab, only to change his mind at the last minute. Normally she wouldn't mind customers paying her gil, but this would be the third time he'd done so, and it was starting to get irritating.

Rather than have the man change his mind on her again, Tifa merely filled an empty mug with her cheapest ale and brought it over to him.

He had already pulled out his wallet before she arrived, but one look at the swig made him promptly pocket it.

"When I die of some horrible disease after drinking your homemade liquor, I want you to put flowers on my grave!" he pouted as he graciously accepted the next round.

"Don't like it, don't come," Tifa deftly replied, spinning around quickly so that her braid barely missed smacking into the side of the man's head.

"I hope you saw that!" he said to no one in particular as he tried to regain his composure. "She's really trying to kill me!"

"Put a sock in it, Darious!" someone else in the room shouted.

"Don't you two start," Tifa cautioned. "You all know what happened the last time someone made a ruckus in my bar."

Everyone in the room visibly shuddered. The royal beating she had bestowed upon the last unlucky patron to cross her was fortunate to be able to walk.

What surprised everyone was that he had stumbled into the bar the very next morning to apologize for his behavior the previous night. Well, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that everyone but Tifa had been surprised. Maybe she was just more perceptive than most, but it seemed to her that over these past two years, the remaining population had become much more amiable.

For most, an inexplicable meteor hurdling down towards the planet's surface was more than enough to remind them to cherish the remainder of their lives in such a way as to make the simple act of living a more meaningful experience for everyone. While it was true that the message had faded with time, most people still clung to their modified lifestyles with a vengeance, refusing to give in to the temptation to fall back to their old ways, despite the recent trend that showed just that.

As is mankind's wont, civilization began to move forward again, but this time without a loss of civility. Though most of the cities still lay in ruins, the population was now able to walk beneath the clearest of blue skies for the first time in decades, basking in the warmth of sunlight that had been denied them for so long. The stench of Midgar had so been driven from people's minds that if ever a town like it was to be re-created, it was so far into the future as to be considered impossible.

As for the people who returned to their old ways, well...as long as they weren't too outspoken they were relatively ignored. It wasn't so much a question anymore as to what anyone believed, but rather how they lived those beliefs. Being true to one's own self was favored highly, as long as it was within the bounds of reason.

There was, however, a downside to all of this. Once again, as if she had gained a sort of divine insight, Tifa seemed to be the only one concerned with the way things were headed. While on the surface everything seemed all right, she could sense the oncoming turbulence. Soon there would be only two types of people: those who accepted the past for what it was and moved on, and those who would desperately try to hold on to this Utopian euphoria with all of their might. Hopefully, the scales would remain balanced until some sort of affirmative solution could be conjured.

Add all of that to the fact that a strange malady seemed to be spreading throughout a lot of the younger generation at an alarming rate. So far it hadn't proved to be a terminal illness; nevertheless, it set many people on edge as they wondered whether or not it was contagious.

A small alarm in the back of the store began to charm, signaling that it was now past closing time. An audible groan escaped everyone's lips, but Tifa would have none of it.

"If I never closed, you people would stay in here forever!" she shouted over their objections. "I'm just one, lonely old woman running a two man show!"

"I'll marry you, Tifa!" someone shouted from the back.

"I'll think about it if you leave," Tifa replied.

The poor man didn't even know what hit him. After singling himself out by being the first and only person to stand, Tifa zeroed in on him with a rather large cork aimed straight at his head.

"Goddammit, Tifa!" he all but screamed, "You lost your chance- for tonight, anyway. Eeep!" he cringed as Tifa took a menacing step towards him. Quickly, he escaped through the front door, followed by a few other laughing patrons as well.

"All right, the rest of you leave, too," Tifa pushed, ushering out some and literally kicking out the less cooperative.

Once the last of her customers had left, Tifa slowly closed the door but left it unlocked. Marlene would be coming home soon, and sometimes in the process of cleaning the racket was so loud that Tifa could not hear the poor girl knocking.

Glancing over the task that lay before her, Tifa took a slow, deep breath and leaned over to pick up the first of many chairs.

To tell the truth, she actually enjoyed this part of the day, where she actually was able to take care of the only thing she could ever really call her own. The bar she'd owned in Midgar hadn't originally belonged to her, and the atmosphere there was so lifeless and morose that it was almost impossible for her to get many customers. If it weren't for the fact that it doubled as a home for herself and a base for AVALANCHE then she probably would have had to shut it down.

This place, however, was different. The reborn "Seventh Heaven". True, it wasn't fancy or anything- most of the buildings were a hodgepodge of broken metal and glass thrown together after Meteor decimated the city- but it was truly her own. She'd painstakingly made sure that everything was spotless before she opened her doors every day. The small windows she'd installed along the front of the building allowed the gentle sunlight to ease its way indoors during the day, and at night the brown curtains made of bed sheets were pulled so that no one could peek inside. Many of the tables were items she'd found in the wreckage of Midgar, along with a few of the chairs. All of the others were a mixture of pipes with wooden seats on one end, upside-down hampers, and even a few she'd made herself! Of that fact, she was particularly proud. After all, once the world had been saved she had a lot of free time to take up a few hobbies.

Since the upstairs served as her and Marlene's living quarters there was much more attention to detail. The top of the stairs leading up was greeting by a rather imposing door with several dead bolts (after all, two ladies couldn't take chances, no matter how much the world had changed). Beyond that door, however, was a well lit and well furnished room, complete with two covered beds, a nightstand and dresser, as well as a small vanity Tifa had given Marlene for her last birthday (handmade, of course). Off to the side was a small but functional bathroom with a shower. A tempered glass dome allowed some sunlight through without sacrificing privacy.

All in all, Tifa felt she had done very well for herself. Especially considering the fact that the value of gil had taken a nosedive so much that even the amount she'd accumulated over her travels was all but worthless. The cost of living, however, had lowered somewhat as well, so it had been enough to allow Tifa the chance to get a relatively steady income.

Now, glancing over at the small clock on the wall, Tifa noticed that Marlene was unusually late again. Normally, Marlene would get home when Tifa was about halfway through the chores, but these past few nights she'd been getting home later- a lot later. As a matter of fact, as Tifa finished righting the last overturned chair and wiping the last dirty spot off of the tables, she wondered if it would be wise to go out and look for her?

Just then, there was a soft knock on the door before it slowly opened. The short, brown-haired Marlene quickly made her way through, shutting and bolting the door after her as she came.


	2. Chapter 2: Tifa's Tumble

"Hello, Miss Tifa," Marlene smiled jovially. "Did you have a nice day?"

"Marlene, we have to talk," Tifa commanded as she grabbed two chairs and set them across from each other. "_Dammit_," Tifa thought to herself, "_if I don't sound like a nagging mom. What kind of mom runs a bar, anyway_?!_ Maybe I should be thankful I don't have any children of my own, or else they'd turn out really weird, probably. Then again-_"

"Miss Tifa?" Marlene queried, interrupting the older woman's thoughts.

Tifa glanced down to see that the child had already seated herself on the chair across from her own. Looking up with big, brown, and shining eyes, Marlene smiled cutely. "You're acting funny tonight, Miss Tifa, are you all right?"

"_Dammit, why did I lose my camera?! I should have taken her picture! Sheesh! If she isn't the cutest, sweetest thing in existence! Is anything even allowed to be that cute?!_"

Marlene reached over and tapped Tifa's knee.

"Oh! Uh," Tifa stammered. "Marlene, you've been coming home late these past few nights. Is there something wrong?"

"No, Miss Tifa, everything's-"

"Cause if its bullies I can, y'know, beat them up for you," she said, driving her two fists together for emphasis.

"Of course not!" Marlene giggled. "I've been meeting somebody."

"Who, a friend from school?"

"Nope! He's a lot older than me and he wears a really long cape."

Tifa almost fell out of her chair. What in the hell kinda person wears capes and talks to eight year old girls?!

Swallowing hard, Tifa managed to continue. "Okay," she nodded, "uh...what's his name?"

"He never says," Marlene replied truthfully. "He knew your name before I even told it to him, though! Maybe you already know him?"

"A stalker," Tifa grumbled under her breath. "Great. Now I don't know whether to be flattered or disgusted."

"What'd you say?"

"Oh, nothing!" Tifa smiled. "Look, Marlene, I don't think you should talk to that person any more. In fact, if you see him, I want you to run in the opposite direction, okay?"

"But...he seems really nice!" Marlene objected. "I really like talking to him- he tells me all sorts of stories about the planet and the life stream!"

"Oh?" Tifa said as she stood up and walked behind the bar to grab a clean rag.

"Yeah! He kinda reminds me of that lady I met a long time ago...I think she liked to wear purple...or red or something. I think her name was...Aerith? Paris?"

Tifa froze in her tracks. Slowly, she turned around and looked at Marlene directly. "You mean Aeris?"

Marlene's face lit up. "Yes! That was her name! He reminds me a lot of that lady. Hey, where is she, anyway? How come I haven't seen her around?"

Tifa ignored her question and ran back over to where Marlene was sitting. "Marlene, what does this person look like?"

"Um," Marlene paused, putting a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "He wears a cape- oops, I think I already said that. He wears this funny black suit that I've never seen before. I wonder where he would've gotten it from?"

Until then, Tifa's heart had been racing. For a minute there, it sounded like she was talking about _him_. Although now it was puzzling that this stranger reminded Marlene of Aeris.

"He's got spiky blonde hair, too," Marlene added as an afterthought.

Tifa's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed on the floor.

The darkness lasted only a few moments, though, and soon Tifa's eyes quickly opened as she lifted herself up again.

"Miss Tifa!" Marlene gasped. "Are you all right?!"

"Y-Yes, Marlene, I'm fine," Tifa replied slowly. Breathing deeply to calm her nerves, she then let out a steady sigh. "Would you mind telling me where you met this person?"

"Not at all," Marlene said as she eyed Tifa cautiously. If the older woman were to suddenly collapse again, it seemed she was determined to try to catch her. "There's an old and abandoned building not far from here. It's about two miles south, near the corner where the old movie plaza used to be."

Tifa nodded. "All right, Marlene," she said, "I'm going to head out there for a bit. Make sure you lock the door behind me, and don't open it for anyone!" She walked over to the door and grabbed a small overcoat to help shield her from the nighttime air. "I don't know when I'll be back, so brush your teeth and wash your face before you go to bed, okay?"

"Yes ma'am!" Marlene smiled as she opened the door to let Tifa outside.

Waiting until the heard the deadbolt lock behind her, Tifa then turned in the direction Marlene had indicated.

As she walked through the empty streets, she could only wonder if it was truly he. Well, if it was, boy was she going to have words with him! Disappearing for years on end was beginning to become a bad habit of his, it seemed.

Doubt slowly changed into anxiousness as Tifa began jogging slowly towards her destination.

"Hello, Tifa!" someone from across the street shouted, startling the poor woman nearly out of her wits.

"Hi there, Marlin," Tifa replied, slowing down to a brisk walk.

"What'cha doin' out this late at night, huh?" he queried as he hurriedly crossed the street to join her.

Tifa rubbed the back of her neck and glanced around. "Uh, I was just out for a quick jog."

"Oh?" Marlin smiled. "Mind if I join you? I don't think it's safe for a lady to be out this late at night."

"_Didn't I just say that to someone_?" Tifa wondered.

"Well, whaddya say?" he pressed.

"Not tonight, Marlin," Tifa declined. "I'm not going very far, and I'd really rather go by myself."

Marlin smiled at her bluntness. "Short and to the point, Tifa. I like that." He gave her a mock salute before he jogged back across the street. "Have fun!" he shouted after her.

"Thanks!" Tifa waved back as she began running once more towards her goal.

She'd been neglecting her exercises as of late, and yet two miles was still fairly easy for her to jog. All too soon, it seemed that she'd finally arrived, and now...she couldn't decide if she was ready to see who may still be inside.

One look at the building removed any trace of doubt she may have had. It was an old church. The same one she'd passed by on her way to pick up Marlene all those lifetimes ago. The one that Cloud had confided was the first place he'd met Aeris. If he was to be found anywhere in this old town, it was probably here.

Taking a deep breath, she mentally prepared herself before walking briskly through the front archway, whose doors had long since been either destroyed or stolen.

It was exactly the way she remembered it. Broken pews and scattered pieces of glass were strewn all throughout the church, creating an otherwise unsettling atmosphere. One look at the center, however, and all fear seemed to melt away. There, under a mysterious pillar of light (the only one that penetrated the collapsed ceiling), was a small flower garden. Daisies and a few other flowers Tifa couldn't recognize bloomed merrily in the gloomy atmosphere. As it was then, it seemed that this place was now the only one that was truly alive in this ruined city.

Peeling her eyes away from the small menagerie of flowers, Tifa slowly scanned the room. The first thing she noticed was that a certain area of the floor had been cleared of debris- most likely the place where Marlene and her mysterious companion had sat for their discussions. Unfortunately, nobody seemed to be present at the moment and Tifa let out a disheartened sigh. Perhaps it really wasn't him after all?

A small crashing sound jolted her from her musings. Having originated from the tower area in the back, Tifa quickly bolted through the overturned benches towards the sound. Upon arrival, she found a single, shattered vase that had apparently fallen from above. Kneeling down to look more closely, Tifa wrinkled her eyebrows in confusion. Everything in this building was old and decrepit, and yet although the vase on the floor was in pieces, Tifa could tell that it was relatively new.

"What the...?" she mumbled softly. Sifting through the broken pieces revealed a small, silver locket. Eyes widening in recognition, Tifa let out a startled gasp. It was the exact same locket she'd given Cloud nearly eight years ago...that same night he'd told her he would be leaving Nibelheim to join SOLDIER. To her, it was only a silly good luck charm to help make the separation easier, but...would he have held onto this worthless trinket for nearly eight years?

Letting out a suppressed chuckle, Tifa moved the tiny latch on the medallion to reveal its contents. That night, she'd told him that once he was accepted into SOLDIER, he would have to put her picture in it as proof to all of the girls who would inevitably flock to such a prestigious man that he had a 'girl' waiting back at home. They had both laughed about it and she had only been half-serious, but wouldn't it be nice if...

Unfortunately, the only thing she found on the inside was a rolled up piece of paper with one sentence neatly written on it:

**Let us find the answers for ourselves, together again as we once were.**

After reading it and re-reading it again for good measure, Tifa could only tilt her head at the cryptic message that was now in her possession. "What answers? I'm not looking for anything," she said to herself. "Am I...?"

Glancing up to try and determine where the vase had come from, Tifa found herself suddenly frozen in place. There, standing amidst the rafters of the bell tower, was a figure clothed entirely in black.

"W-Wha? It...it can't be!" she told herself over and over again. Even though she could make out the figure well enough, he was simply too far away and the light was so dim way up there that she couldn't make out any facial features. She could, however, feel that his gaze was resting on her.

"W-Who's up there?!" Tifa shouted. "Get down her right now!" she said, stomping her foot to help make her appear agitated while simultaneously disguising the unrest that was plaguing the pit of her stomach.

Oddly enough, the more he stared at her, the less anxious she felt. It almost seemed soothing; pleasant in such a way as to make her more curious as to whom he actually was.

There was something about him. Now that her nerves had calmed, it seemed she could almost sense the power emanating from him. Unlike the fierce, predatory nature of the energy that flowed from the planet's late enemy, this person radiated a quiet inner strength. It was a calm but powerful, soft but deadly aura that gave way to a firm determination- a silent testimony to a greater inner fortitude.

"Cloud?" she called out hesitantly. "Is that you?"

Not a second after the words had escaped her lips, the dark figure slowly made his way towards the large, gaping hole in the ceiling.

"No!" Tifa shouted, nearly panicking. "Wait, where do you think you're going?!" She made her way up the rickety steps, ignoring the groans that the moldy pieces of wood gave out. "Don't you dare leave! It is you, isn't it Cloud?! Cloud! Are you listening to me!!"

It was no use. He had already disappeared through the opening before she was even halfway to the top. "Dammit!" she grunted as she hesitated briefly before jumping over the gaping hole in the middle of the walkway.

"CLOUD!" she screeched as she at last made it to the top, but to no avail. He was no longer present.

No words could describe the conflicting emotions that were whirling about in her head- anger; resentment and sadness- all mixing together to form a mental cacophony that nearly drove her insane.  
Letting out a disgusted cry, Tifa crashed her fist into the brittle wall, shattering it into thousands of tiny pieces instantly. "Dammit, Cloud," she said through clenched teeth. Slowly, she sank to the floor and yet she couldn't bring herself to cry. "Why? Why would you come here only to run away? Are you trying to torture me?"

Looking out over the ruined landscape once more before she made her descent, she noticed the same dark figure standing off in the distance, waiting patiently for her.

"Wha...?" Tifa gushed. "What the hell is this?!" It had only been thirty seconds since she'd first lost sight of him, and yet there was no way he could've gotten that far in so little an amount of time.

Even as she looked, the figured turned and leaped ten feet in the air to reach an outcrop of metal. Turning back once more, the man waved briefly before disappearing from sight all together.

Tifa rubbed her eyes to make sure they weren't playing tricks on her. That person just did two things no human being should be capable of! Could it really be Cloud? If so, why would he run away from her?  
Then, she finally understood. Taking out the note, she read it over once more in her mind.

"I understand," she whispered resolutely. "You want me to follow you, don't you?" Slowly she stood to her feet and brushed her legs and skirt free of dust. "All right, then," she declared loudly to no one but herself, "if that's what it takes to see you again. But I swear, I'm gonna give you the worst beating of your life when I find you!!"

FFVII

Tired and worn, Tifa took out her small key and unlocked the front door to her bar. Silently ascending the stairs, she quietly stepped into her room to avoid waking her younger charge.

Too exhausted to change into her nightgown, Tifa merely fell into her bed and drifted off to sleep almost instantly.

The next morning she awoke at the first sign of daylight. Peeking over to make sure Marlene was still quite sound asleep, Tifa gingerly pulled out a suitcase and began packing what few belongings they shared.

She hesitated when she realized she was about to put her gloves into the bag. Would she really need them? Now that all of the Mako reactors had shut down there weren't very many monsters wandering around. Also, any human that affronted her would be easy enough to take down without them. On a whim, she went ahead and put them into the bag, rationalizing that she wouldn't be able to break Cloud's jaw without them.

After clothes and toiletries, the only thing she needed to bring now was her gil stash. Deftly descending the stairs and moving behind the counter, she pulled aside a sliding panel to reveal a numerical pad. Upon punching in the combination, there was a soft clicking sound as the small box behind her unlocked. Disguised as an empty wine case, any soul unlucky enough to try and grab it (or to punch in the incorrect combination on the pad, for that matter) was treated to a barrage of pepper shot that would launch from the concealed gun in the ceiling. Having been on the receiving end of it in Wall Market several years back, Tifa knew all too well how effective it could be as a security device. Fortunately for her, she'd found it buried under a pile of rubble about two weeks ago before it had a chance to be snatched up.

Reaching into the little portmanteau, she removed a second tiny box and turned the combination dial, finally revealing the pocketbook.

Grabbing it, she returned upstairs to her room to find Marlene in the process of getting out of bed.

"Guhmerning, Miss Tifa," she yawned. Looking over at the suitcase, she asked, "What's that for? Are you going somewhere?"

"Well, sort of. Good news, though! You're coming with me!" Tifa grinned.

"Really?!" Marlene gasped, all the effects of sleep now gone. "Where are we going?!"

"Uh, er- I..." she stammered. "I'm not really sure, heh," she laughed nervously. "I was thinking of going to a few places..."

"Like?" Marlene prodded.

"Well, uh, Kalm-"

"Kalm?!"

"And Nibelheim," Tifa added.

"Nibelheim?! But those places are so far away!"

"I know, Dear, I really do, and I wish-"

"This is gonna be so cool!" Marlene gushed, jumping out of bed and running around the room. "Where's all my stuff? I need to pack!"

Tifa sighed with relief. At least the girl wasn't averse to the idea of doing a little globetrotting. "I already packed for you," Tifa said lightly. "I managed to put it all in one suitcase."

"When do we leave, when do we leave?!"

"How about...oh, um..." she glanced down at Marlene mischievously, "...right now!"

"YES!"

Not two seconds later and Marlene had managed to pull Tifa out of the front door.

Grinning widely, Tifa took out her key and turned the bolt.

"Wait a minute, what's this?" came a voice from behind them.

"Marlin!" Marlene shouted as she turned and saw who it was. "We're going on a trip!"

"B...But I was just coming in for a drink!" Marlin protested.

Tifa sighed at the hurt look he was giving her. "Look, Marlin, I'm really sorry, but this is really important to me. It's kind of a personal matter..."

"Oh, no!" Marlin said quickly, "I don't mind- besides, you can do whatever you want, but it's just that...where will I get my drinks from?"

Tifa returned a smile. She could tell that he was trying to hide his disappointment. Then, she got an idea.

Walking up to him, she grabbed his hand and pressed her key firmly into his palm.

"Whoa now, hand on a second!" he exclaimed. "Tifa, I-"

"Don't worry about it," she laughed, "I trust you. Besides, I need someone to take care of the place while I'm gone."

Marlin's face was a mixture of excitement and uncertainty. "Are you really sure?"

"Yes!" Tifa remarked, shoving him towards the door. "Help yourself to whatever's in there, all right?"

Marlin seemed hesitant at first, but then his face lit up brightly. "All right!" he said, pumping his fist into the air. "Sounds like a plan."

"Oh, and just two things," Tifa said as she turned to walk towards the outskirts of the city. "There's a little black box on the bar...don't touch it, okay?"

"Don't touch the box, got it. What's the other thing?"

Tifa looked him squarely in the eyes and pointed her finger at him. "Stay out of my room."

FFVII

All of the train stations had been wrecked, and without mako energy automobiles were a thing of the past. Thus, they were forced to rent chocobos for their journey. Personally, Tifa never really liked the birds. Sure, they were cute in their own way, but they smelled funny and they bounced around a lot when they ran- not very good for someone of her build.

Marlene, on the other hand, couldn't be happier. It was the first time she'd been on a chocobo, as well as the first time in a while that she'd been out of the Midgar area. If her eyes shone any brighter they could've be visible from space.

"Miss Tifa," Marlene asked, "What's that?!"

Following her outstretched arm, Tifa noted the location. She didn't need a moment to recollect it, for she remembered it all too well. "Those are the Mythril Mines," she spoke up. "After we go to Kalm, we'll go that way to get to Junon. From there, we'll take a quick boat ride to the Eastern Continent."

"Wow, is that a pretty place? I've never been there before!"

"Tell you what," Tifa said, turning her head slightly so that she could see Marlene. "When we get to Kalm, I'll buy you a map so you can see all the places we'll be going to."

"Really? Thanks so much!" Marlene grinned, hugging Tifa tightly from behind.

As was expected, the duo arrived at Kalm without incident. As it began to appear over the horizon, Tifa found herself raising her eyebrows slightly in surprise. Considering all that had happened, the city had been restored fairly well. It stood to reason though, since Meteor had concentrated its fall solely on Midgar.

"Is that it?" Marlene asked.

"Yup. This is Kalm. This was where you were staying before I found you and brought you back to Midgar, remember?"

"Ooh," Marlene crooned.

Obviously she did not remember.

Riding slowly into the town, Tifa hopped off of the chocobo and helped Marlene get down as well. After tying the bird to a post, Tifa then took the opportunity to stretch her weary muscles. It had been so long since she'd ridden one of those things that her body had grown unaccustomed to it.

"Look, Miss Tifa!" Marlene called as she ran over to a small kiosk. Its shelves were adorned with all sorts of tiny, furry animals that didn't look at all like anything Tifa had ever seen. "Aren't they cute?"

"What a precious child!" the woman behind the cart smiled. "What's your name, dear?"

"Marlene!" she replied swiftly. "A pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

Tifa smiled. She'd instructed Marlene on proper greeting techniques so long ago that she figured the little girl would've forgotten them by now.

"She's just so adorable! Is she your daughter?" the woman addressed Tifa.

"No, she's my friend's daughter. I'm taking care of her 'till he comes home."

"My, my! I remember when my little girl was your age! She was as cute as a button."

"Oh? I'm sorry, but you wouldn't happen to have any maps, would you?" Tifa asked. She hated to change the topic, but she really didn't want to be bogged down by this woman's nostalgia.

"Why, of course we do!" the lady replied. Reaching behind the cart, she pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to her. "This one has all of the major locations on the continent."

"Good. I'll take one," Tifa nodded. Seeing that Marlene was eyeing the furry creatures, she added: "And I'll take one of those, as well."

"Oh? Which color would you like, Marlene?" the woman asked.

Marlene put a finger to her lip thoughtfully. "Um...the purple one!" she decided at last.

"What good taste! Now, did you need anything else, Miss?"

"Could you point me in the direction of the inn?"

"Right up the stairs and to your left," the lady pointed. "Can't miss it! That'll be fifty gil."

Tifa pulled out her pocketbook and paid the woman. Then, ushering Marlene up the stairs and into the inn, she was swiftly greeted by the clerk.

"Renting a room today, Ma'am?" he asked politely.

"Actually," Tifa replied, "I was looking for someone. I don't suppose a guy by the name of Cloud Strife is staying here at the moment?"

The man ran down the list of names, but shook his head negatively. "I'm sorry, Miss, but there's nobody by that name."

"Tifa Lockhart?" she ventured a guess.

Once again the man shook his head.

"Any messages?"

"For whom?"

"For me."

"And...your name is...?"

"Tifa Lockhart!"

The man jumped slightly. "Oh! That's your name, is it? I thought you looked kinda familiar! You were in here a while ago, weren't you? Kind of a rag tag bunch with some spiky-headed blonde guy?"

"Uh...yeah, that would be me, heh-heh," she laughed forcefully.

"It's odd, y'know? You aren't the first one to ask me that sort of thing, lately."

"What do you mean?" Tifa asked suspiciously. Then, looking down to Marlene, she spoke, "Marlene, why don't you go play outside for bit? I'll be out in a little while, okay?"

"Okay!" Marlene chimed. Clutching her plush toy and map in her arms she raced out the door and down the stairs, disappearing from sight.

"Now then, please continue," Tifa mentioned.

"Well, it was a few days ago. Some really creepy guy came in here looking for you...I don't remember him being with you before, though. Can't see someone like you hanging around a spooky guy like that anyway," he scoffed.

"Do you remember what he was wearing?"

"Red," the man replied simply. "He was dressed almost entirely in red. He had these buggy red eyes, too. Nearly scared me to death, too. I was looking away from the door, and when I turned around- BAM!- he was right there. Didn't hear the door open or anything."

"That would be Vincent," Tifa offered, smiling widely. "He tends to do stuff like that."

The man's eyes widened. "You mean you actually know him?!"

"He's really a nice guy," Tifa explained. "You just have to get to know him."

"Boy, oh boy," the man rubbed his nose wearily. "Well, all I can tell you is that I had nightmares after seeing him."

Tifa could only laugh at the man's dilemma. It was true that Vincent had a very otherworldly and oppressive air about him, but after she'd been around him a while she learned to see what a genuinely good person he was.

"I don't suppose he said where he was going, did he?" Tifa queried.

"Uh, yeah, actually, he did! Where was it...uh, Ni...Nibelheim?"

"That's the place!" Tifa said excitedly. Well, now at least she knew that there might be someone waiting for her in Nibelheim.

"Is it? Heh, never heard of it before."

"It's on the Eastern Continent," Tifa remarked dryly.

"You've been to the Eastern Continent?!"  
"Look," Tifa said gently, "I'd really like to stay and chat, but I need to be going now. I appreciate your help, though!"

"Well, you're welcome," he sighed. "Have a good trip."

"Thanks!" Tifa said again as she hurriedly left the building. "Marlene!" she called loudly.

"Here!" Marlene saluted as she jumped to attention. She had been sitting down near the small fountain where the large drill used to be.

"Let's saddle up," Tifa called as she moved towards the chocobo.

Five minutes later, and they were once again on the open prairies. Once they came to a rather large sand marsh, though, Tifa pulled the chocobo to a halt.

"Why'd we stop?" Marlene asked. "The mines are just up ahead, aren't they?"

"Well...yeah," Tifa said truthfully. Then, she jumped down off of the bird and began rummaging through her pack. Pulling out her gloves, she slipped them onto her fists and began trudging into the marsh.

"Miss Tifa?"

"Wait right there, Marlene," Tifa commanded. "I'll be right back."

"All right!" Marlene replied, completely oblivious as to what was about to occur.

Breaking into a swift jog, Tifa quickly cleared several dunes to make sure she was out of sight from the little girl. Then, all she had to do was wait. If they hadn't changed these past few years, they would come sniffing around to try and make her their next meal. Tsch...like that was every going to happen.

Sure enough, soon there was a small rumbling noise as the creature rapidly approached her.

"All right," Tifa said mentally. "It's been a while, but these things are a cinch."

She hadn't quite finished psyching herself up before the humongous zolom lurched from the sand, hissing wildly as it eyed her hungrily.

"Here we go!" Tifa shouted, crouching down to push herself forward at an incredible speed. She wasn't about to let it get the chance to attack her first.

She needn't have worried. Her punch was so powerful that, instead of merely striking the animal as she had intended, her fist punctured the scaly armor and traveled inside the creature's body.

"Eeww!" Tifa squealed even as the snake writhed in agony on the ground before unceremoniously dying.

"Well," she remarked glibly, "That wasn't so bad."

She turned around and began walking back towards the chocobo...

...And had just enough time to roll sideways before a second zolom's powerful jaws clamped shut on her body.

"What the?!!" she shouted. "They never attack in pairs! Whoa!" she rolled to the side once more to avoid being struck by the monster's enormous tail.

No longer on the offensive, Tifa could only roll and handspring backwards to avoid the fatal jaws of her opponent. Once more, the zolom used its incredible tail to try and pummel her. Reacting quickly, Tifa brought her arms up to shield her face and upper body, but the blow still sent her flying, as well as nearly breaking her bones in the process.

"Gah!" she yelped. "Okay...no more doing that..."

Dammit, this was bad. This wasn't any regular zolom; otherwise, she would've been finished with the fight by now. This one was fast- fast and strong, which was certainly something she hadn't been expecting. She'd have to be on her toes for this one if she wanted to survive.

The snake took a moment to recoil its body in preparation for another onslaught. Tifa used the opening as a chance to attack. Rushing in swiftly, she pummeled the beast with blow after blow, finishing up with a powerful roundhouse kick that would send any human sailing across the sky.

The beast flinched slightly, but otherwise showed no signs of injury as it raced towards her once more.

"Oh, crap," Tifa said flatly.

Leaping past the creature's head as it raced towards her and into the air, she landed squarely on it's scaly back and began running the length of its body. Unnerved at the contact, the zolom deftly struck at her with its fangs, but she slid off its posterior just in time to avoid being hit. If her situation wasn't so dire, Tifa probably would have laughed at the site of the zolom biting it's own body, but at least now she had a funny story for late nights at the bar.

However, it seemed that the self-inflicted wound only angered the beast more. Rising up to its full height, it struck at Tifa with such aggressive speed that her only recourse was to put out her hands defensively to catch its powerful jaws.

Bad move. Already Tifa knew that she could only last a few moments before her arms would give way, leaving her wide open for a counter attack. She had to come up with a plan, and quick!

Pushing with all of her might, Tifa managed to regain her foothold on the ground. Once she'd done so, she stepped aside and used the zolom's forward exertion to send it crashing into the sand.

Gathering all of her energy into her legs, Tifa leaped on top of the beast's body once more. Now that she had a clear vantage point of it's head, Tifa jumped towards it, ready to deal a fatal blow to the monster's skull.

The zolom, however, sensed the danger and turned deftly to face the onslaught. Jaws open wide it caught Tifa in its mouth midair and swallowed her whole.

Sinking slowly to the ground, the zolom began to slither underneath the sand once more.

Then, a rather odd thing happened. The monster began convulsing rapidly, as if some unseen force had struck it. Lifting its head up high, the beast let out a terrifying howl before its entire upper half exploded into a burst of flames mingled with scaly flesh and bone.

Tifa emerged from the inferno, landing skillfully on the ground and clutching a single red materia in her left hand.

"Hah!" she wheezed. "Take that, you...stupid animal!"

Sighing heavily, she sank to the ground and attempted to catch her breath.

That was when the ground started to shake again...

"You have got to be kidding me!!"


	3. Chapter 3: See Yon' Junon

Marlene had jumped off of the chocobo and had been wandering around the fields when saw a rather strange sight. In the direction Tifa had walked off to before, there was now a rather large dust cloud rising into the air. Sounds of howling followed by explosions were quickly added to the mix.

"What in the world could she be up to?" Marlene wondered aloud.

The jarring racket continued on for another five minutes before everything fell silent once more.

"Miss Tifa?" Marlene called out experimentally.

"I'm here," came a rather exhausted reply.

Marlene looked and, just coming over the last hill was a rather bruised and bleeding Tifa.

"Miss Tifa!" she exclaimed as she ran over to help her walk. "What happened?!"  
"Pest control," Tifa replied, laughing at her own joke until a sharp pain jabbed her ribs.

"You need to rest!" Marlene said firmly. "Come on, I'll get something for you to drink."

"No...I think that...now would be a good time to cross the dunes. Y'know," she added, "before they all come back."

"Who is 'they'"?

"Oh, never you mind," Tifa soothed as she valiantly struggled to pull herself onto the chocobo.

Marlene wasn't nearly satisfied with that response, but she let the matter be for now.

The chocobo made quick work of the dunes, and they crossed without further incident. Upon arriving at the entrance to the cave, Tifa dismounted once more and slowly made her way to a grassy knoll where she could rest.

Her eyes jolted open as she heard a scream fill the air.

"Marlene!" she shouted as she bolted upright. "What's wrong?!"

Marlene could only point at the object of her fear.

"Oh..." Tifa said dumbly once she saw what had frightened the girl. There, upon a rather large pike were the bony remains of a Midgar Zolom. "It's all right, Marlene, it's dead. It can't hurt you."

Though fear still shone in her face, Marlene did her best to hide it. "W-Who did that to it? He must've been really strong! That thing is huge!"

"_Well, I just killed about half a dozen of the darn things,_" Tifa fussed to herself. But she'd promised herself a long time ago that she would never let Marlene see her fight anything or anyone. "He was a hero," Tifa said in response to Marlene's question.

"Oh? You wanted to marry a hero, didn't you? That's what you told me before!"

Tifa smiled down at the little girl. "This hero lost his way, Marlene," she explained sadly. "He was looking for the answer to a question, but when he found it, it wasn't the one he was looking for."

"What did he end up doing?" Marlene gasped, totally entranced by the story. "Did he eventually find the answer?"

"Urm...uh," Tifa stammered. Upon retrospect, he certainly did do some horrible things. All it boiled down to, though, was his own inability to accept who and what he was. In that sense, maybe he wasn't such a lunatic after all. Everyone had difficulty finding themselves in life. But where others found the answer and, even if it was a bad one, accepted it...Sephiroth allowed it to consume him. He allowed it to motivate his actions for revenge- revenge against the world, and against his father, who had warped that very existence into something other than natural.

Was that all he was really after? An identity? Hojo had given his son an identity, but maybe he was simply trying to make one for himself?

She would never forget the look on his face. As Cloud dealt the final blow, Sephiroth's face was a mixture of anger, frustration, and desperation all melded into one. Anger at those who'd defeated him, frustration at his inability to realize his dream, and desperation...for he would not find the answer in his lifetime.

But in the lifestream, perhaps he'd finally been able to find peace. That was all that mattered, wasn't it?

"In the end," Tifa remarked softly, "I think he found the answer." Tifa smiled down at Marlene. "I mean, we can always hope he did, right?"  
"Uh huh!"

"Good. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get some sleep."

Just as she nestled down to rest, she was disturbed once again by a cheery "Hello!" from Marlene.

"Marlene, I'm sorry, but could you please keep it down?" she asked, opening one eye to look at the girl.

When she did so, what consumed her vision was a large, cloaked figure staring down at her.

"Wha!" she shrieked, leaping up to her feet quickly, albeit ungracefully.

"Greetings," the figure said simply.

"Vincent!" Tifa smiled. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tightly. "It's been too long! Where have you been?!" She released her hold and looked him over. He still sported that same red headdress and coat, as well as his poor taste in hairstyle. At his hip was his beloved gun, complete with a new holster. His overall demeanor, although similar, revealed a subdued quality. Two years ago, he'd been constantly at odds with the inner demons he carried within his very being. It seemed now that there was no longer an internal war raging within him. Had he finally conquered the specters of his past?

"I have been keeping busy," he replied briskly. "Odd that I would run into you out here, though. Do you mind if I ask why you are here, and with a child, no less?"

"Well, I've been trying to find Cloud," she replied hurriedly. "I was on my way to Nibelheim to see if he was there, and I found out that you were headed in that same direction."

Vincent found an ideal spot on the ground and sat down, motioning for Tifa to follow suite. "I can already tell you that he's not there."

"What do you mean?" Tifa asked. "I was at Kalm and the innkeeper said you were there looking for me."

"I was, because there was something I wanted to talk to you about," Vincent replied. "I had assumed that you would be there, since it was where Marlene was staying."

Tifa shook her head. "I brought her back to Midgar with me," she confessed. Seeing Vincent's puzzled reaction, she hurriedly added: "It was always more of a home to me than Kalm."

Vincent shook his head. "Then my instincts were wrong. Midgar was the last place I expected to find you. That is why I was headed to Nibelheim next, to see if you were there. I have been leaving messages at all the inns I've visited so far, just in case you happened to run across any of them. Looks like my foresight paid off."

"Then...Cloud's not at Nibelheim?" Tifa asked, returning to their original conversation.

"No, and that's what I wanted to speak to you about. I have already met with Cloud."

"You WHAT?!" Tifa bellowed. "Where is he? You have to tell me!"

"Calm down," Vincent ordered firmly. "It's not what you think. He isn't the same person he used to be."

"What do you mean?" Tifa asked cautiously.

"He has become isolated, shutting himself away for the time being," Vincent explained. "When we met, there was a heavy tension in the air. Before I left he told me that I must not seek him out again, and that if I should see you or anyone else that I should tell them the same thing."

"That doesn't sound like Cloud at all!" Tifa exclaimed.

"No, you're right, it doesn't," Vincent agreed. "But it is what it is, and right now contacting him is a very bad idea for everyone involved."

"But I saw him!" Tifa said while pulling out the note she received from the church at Midgar. "He gave me this note, see?"

Vincent pulled out a similar one from his own shirt pocket. "I see then, that I was not the only one to have received an anonymous note."

Tifa's eyes began to water. "Then...Then if it wasn't Cloud, who the hell was it?! I could've sworn it was him!"

"Please, mind your language in front of the child," Vincent chided.

Tifa glanced over at Marlene, who was intently listening to their conversation. "Yeah," she said to Vincent, "Who the hell was it?"

Tifa gasped and covered her mouth. "Marlene! Don't use language like that! Now go over by the cave and wait for Mr. Vincent and me to finish talking!"

"Yes, ma'am," Marlene grumbled as she slowly made her way to the cave entrance.

"If it wasn't Cloud," Tifa whispered softly but fiercely, "then who was it?"

"I don't know," Vincent confessed, "but someone other than Cloud is obviously trying to get our group back together again."

"Then why wouldn't they just come out and reveal themselves?" Tifa countered.

"I was only a Turk," Vincent replied coolly, "I'm not omnipotent. For the moment, I suggest you put off your search for Cloud and accompany me while I pull together the rest of our party."

"You know where everyone is?" Tifa asked. "Well, I guess you were a Turk," she sighed when she saw her friend giving her a weary grin.

"When we all have a chance to converse we may come up with some idea of what's going on."

Tifa nodded wearily. "I guess that would be the best thing to do. So, where's our first destination?"

"North Corel."

"I see." Tifa leaned back onto the ground and closed her eyes. "Mind if I rest a bit before we move on?"

"About that..." Vincent paused. "If you don't mind my asking, what happened to you?"

"Don't even ask," Tifa groaned as she rolled over and attempted to go to sleep.

FFVII

When she finally awoke, Tifa saw that it was in the early hours of the morning. Bolting upright, she scanned the area for her companions. She needn't have worried however- Vincent had pitched a tent and set up a fire all while keeping a close eye on Marlene.

Slowly getting to her feet, Tifa wandered over to the warmth of the fire. "You should have woken me," Tifa chided. "I didn't need to sleep that long."

"If you'll pardon me, Tifa, you actually did. I took the liberty of applying some ointment to your wounds while you were sleeping," Vincent told her. "Besides, traveling with injuries like that would only slow us down."

"I'm sorry if you were in a hurry, then," Tifa apologized as she sat down next to her friend.

"Quite the contrary. I've been spending the evening chatting with your little accomplice. Although she's quite the chatterbox, it wasn't an entirely unpleasant experience."

Tifa peeked inside the tent and saw the brown-headed child resting peacefully on a sleeping blanket. "Marlene's a sweet little girl," Tifa agreed. "She's got her moments, but then so does everyone else."

"Indeed."

His lackluster reply gave Tifa the impression that their short conversation was over, so she turned her gaze to the flickering fire at the center of their campsite.

"Is something the matter?" Vincent asked out of the blue, causing Tifa to jump slightly.

"No, of course not. Why do you ask?"

Vincent shrugged. "You look sad. I think I already know the reason why."

Tifa quickly recalled their earlier conversation, which riled her emotions all over again. "I just don't get it," she said abruptly, her voice heavy with emotion. "If it wasn't Cloud, then who gave me the note?"

"Someone actually gave it to you?" Vincent queried.

"Well, not directly. I found the note, and I assumed the figure in black was the one who'd given it to me since he was right there. How did you get yours?" Tifa asked, pointing to the tiny slip of paper.

"I merely found it lying on my dresser," came his response. "The thing that troubled me the most was that there wasn't any sign of entry- from neither the window, nor the door."

"So you didn't actually see anyone," Tifa said mostly to herself. "Why would he show himself to me and not to you?"

"Perhaps," Vincent said slowly, "there was no reason for him to. The unobtrusive way in which the letter was given to me was more than enough to spark my interest and take up this journey. For you, well...considering your obvious attachment to Cloud, the best way to make you leave Midgar would be to let you think you were following him."

Tifa furrowed her eyebrows at his remark but decided not to take offense. She couldn't deny the fact that she did have feelings for the warrior. "But who could possibly know us that well?"

"I haven't the foggiest idea," Vincent shook his head. "That's why I believe it's best that we settle this matter with our other comrades present."

Tifa agreed. Noticing now that the sun had finally risen, she spoke up: "Should we get started, then? I'll wake up Marlene and you can get our rides ready."

"Of course," Vincent said bowing lowly.

Not five minutes later (along with one _very_ unhappy little girl at having been woken up so early) and they were on their way through the Mythril mines. The birds proved to be versatile not only on top of the planet, but underneath it as well. With their help, the small party managed to clear the mines in just a few short hours.

Emerging into the heat of the afternoon sun was refreshing after having been underground for so long, but they didn't take the time to enjoy it. Now out in the open, Vincent and Tifa pushed their chocobos at a steady pace until dusk, where they once again set up camp.

This process continued for two days before the tip of the city of Junon finally began peeking over the horizon.

"Thank goodness!" Tifa whined. "My whole body feels like it's going to fall apart!"

"When was the last time you rode a chocobo?" Vincent asked humorously.

"Probably that time I begged Cloud to let me ride his at the Golden Saucer," Tifa remarked. "It was fun, but I never really had a desire to ride them for transportation."

"Well, we're almost there," Vincent consoled, "so you'll get to take a break then."

"Miss Tifa!" Marlene said, pulling at the back of Tifa's shirt. "Is that city over there Junon?"

"Yes, it is!" Tifa said sharing Marlene's enthusiasm. "That's the city where we'll catch a boat to the Eastern Continent."

"How's it gonna get across the ocean without mako energy?" Marlene queried.

"Well, it's gonna...er...that is, uh-" she broke off and looked at Vincent. "Say, just how do they move these things now?"

Vincent let a hollow laugh escape his lips. "What they're doing now isn't that different from mako. Once a ship reaches port, they remove enormous electric generators from the vessel and recharge them on land using solar energy. Then, once the ship is ready to leave they reinstall them. It's very tedious and hardly efficient, but it gets the job done."

"If they're using solar energy, why not just charge them while they're still out at sea?" Marlene asked.

For a reply, Vincent pointed to the sky.

"Solar energy is very unpredictable," Tifa explained. "We can't predict what the weather will be like, so if it gets stormy and the ship runs out of power, then we're stuck out there in the middle of nowhere until the sun comes out again."

"Ooh," Marlene nodded.

"For generators that size the solar plates would have to be quite large," Vincent added. "As it stands, it just isn't feasible to put them on any ship directly."

"Enough about solar this and that!" Tifa chimed. "We're finally here!"

Slowing their chocobos down to a brisk trot, the group ambled into the city and quickly made their way to the stable.

"We walk from here," Vincent said as he grabbed Tifa's suitcase along with his own.

"That's really not necessary," Tifa gushed as she made a move to take her case back.

"Please, I insist. I am more than capable of carrying a lady's bag for her," Vincent scoffed.

"Well, if you insist," Tifa shrugged. His kind gesture, though unexpected, was very much appreciated.

"So," Vincent spoke up, "now all we have to do is check onto the boat and wait for the departure."

Having been to the town many times before, Tifa and Vincent both quickly located the harbor and made their way to the loading station.

"How many?" the woman behind the counter asked, not even glancing up as she did so.

"Three," Tifa replied.

"One thousand, three hundred gil, please," the woman replied.

Vincent stepped forward and tapped his metallic claw on the counter to get the lady's attention. When she glanced up, her eyes nearly bulged out of her head and her back stiffened.

"Would it be possible," Vincent said smoothly, "for us to get a cabin near the gallery?" He merely stared back at her gaping eyes, patiently awaiting her reply.

"Y-Yes, of course!" she stammered. Pulling the tickets from her drawer, she quickly laid them on the counter and pulled a metal barrier down between them.

"Miss?" Tifa said as she knocked on the plate softly. "What about the money?"

"Just leave it on the counter, dear!" came her muffled response. "Thank you for your purchase, and have a nice day!"

Tifa flashed an irritated look at Vincent. "I don't know why it works, but it does," he deadpanned.

Dropping the gil on the counter, Tifa took hold of Marlene's hand boarded the boat with Vincent following up the rear.

"Let's see," Tifa said quietly, "cabin number...3? That's almost at the bow!"

"Looks like she delivered after all," Vincent chuckled. "I wasn't actually expecting her to react that way."

"Well, let's face it," Tifa grinned, "you just have a certain way with people."

Soon they arrived at the third cabin and, after setting their things on the beds and inspecting the room, Tifa exclaimed: "Now, who wants to go and get something to eat! I'm starving!"

Marlene was the only one who volunteered a raised hand.


	4. Chapter 4: Tifa Suits Up

The boat ride, though pleasant and somewhat relaxing, went at a snail's pace, and Tifa was glad when she could finally set her feet on dry land again.

For what it was worth, the little town of Costa de Sol hadn't changed a bit. The people were still bright and cheerful (as well as being exceptionally tanned), and the alabaster buildings still stood tall and proud.

Unfortunately, they couldn't stay long. With Corel being only a short distance away, neither Tifa nor Vincent cared to waste any time there. Marlene, however, was only persuaded to leave after Tifa promised that they would go swimming in the ocean on the return trip home.

Much to Tifa's chagrin, they were once again forced to rent chocobos for the duration of the trip. To make matters worse the birds, like the townspeople, seemed to be rather hardheaded and often didn't obey the commands of their riders.

They pressed on, however, and in a relatively short amount of time passed through the Corel Mountain range.

Once through, Tifa couldn't believe the sight that greeted her eyes. Instead of a junkyard, the town of Corel had been completely transformed. Small, wooden houses lined the road and children played freely in the open streets.

"Wha-?" Tifa gasped. A huge grin steadily spread across her face. "Vincent, what happened here?"

"Do you like it?"

"Well, yeah! It's a lot better than a junkyard!"

Vincent smiled. "Well, to be precise, Barret happened to the town. I think you already knew why he stayed here and left Marlene in your care?"

Tifa nodded. "He said he was going to try and find an energy source to replace mako."

"That's right," Vincent affirmed. "Now there are lots of people in this world- wealthy, influential people who are most interested in getting a viable new power source going. Since Barret is one of the few who pioneered the search for that energy, they naturally came to him first. He agreed to help them on the condition that they cleared out the junk and helped renovate the city. As you can see, they agreed."

"That sounds like something Barret would do," Tifa laughed. "So is he here right now? Where is he?"

"That depends on who's lookin'," came a dry voice from behind.

Turning around, Tifa saw that it had come from a rather toned man in his late thirties.

Slipping off of his chocobo, Vincent walked over to the man and shook his head firmly. "Tifa," he explained, "this is Carl. He would be Barret's right hand man. I had the pleasure of meeting him the last time I was here. Carl, this is Miss Tifa."

"Pleased to meet'cha," Carl nodded.

Tifa gave Vincent an odd look. "You've just been everywhere, haven't you?"

"I do get around, yes," Vincent replied. "So, Carl, where is Barret? Is he still at the excavation site?"

"Yeah," Carl said as he removed his had to wipe the sweat from his brow. "But you're in luck. He's scheduled to come back sometime this evening. Boy, will he be surprised to see you. To tell you the truth, I don't think he expected you to come back. And with company to boot!" He glance over to the sleeping little girl balanced between Tifa's arms. "And this must be Marlene," he guessed. "Y'know he talks about her almost constantly. I suppose it's a 'dad' thing."

"Well, she'll be happy to see him, too, I'm sure," Tifa smiled. She gently shook Marlene awake. "Marlene, wake up! We're in Corel!" she said.

At the mention of that name, Marlene's drowsiness vanished. "Where's Daddy?! Is he here?"

She wriggled free from Tifa's hold and jumped off of the chocobo onto the road.

"Whoa, slow down there, sweetie," Carl grinned. "Your dad's gonna be back sometime this evening."

"You know my dad?" Marlene asked.

"We go back a ways, yeah," came his reply. "Look, can I get you folks something to eat or drink while you wait for him to get back?"

"That sounds nice. Thanks," Tifa replied eagerly.

FFVII

Time passed quickly in that town. Marlene had gone outside to play with the other children while Vincent and Tifa remained indoors where it was nice and cool.

After their long trip, Vincent confessed that he needed to lie down for a bit and he disappeared upstairs. For her part, Tifa took a quick catnap in the chair she was sitting in. She was jolted from her rest when the door busted open widely and in stepped a tall and imposing, though not unfamiliar figure.

"Barret!" Tifa cried as she jumped up to embrace him. She noticed that he was carrying Marlene on his shoulder, so she tried not to shake him too much.

"What's up, Tifa?" Barret waved, grinning as widely as she was. "Been a while, huh?"

"That's my line!" Glancing down, she noticed that something about his arm seemed slightly awry. Instead of the gun she had been so used to seeing there was something entirely different. She didn't feel like prying as to what it was, though, so she decided to let him tell her in his own time. "You've been busy!" she said, punching him playfully in the chest. "You cleaned up this place really well!"

"Didn't I?" Barret said proudly. "I tell you what, things here couldn't be better," he said excitedly. "Money's been pouring into this place faster than the liquor that goes into your customers' mouths! At this rate, it'll be a cinch for me ta find what everyone's been lookin' for!"

"I haven't seen you this excited since you started AVALANCHE," Tifa chuckled. "It's like you've lost ten years, or something. So, how _is _your research going?"

Barret set Marlene on his lap as he sat down heavily in an empty chair. "It's close, Tifa, real close. I've got a few leads, but I think we may be on to something."

"Well, don't leave me in the dark!" Tifa pressed. "What is it?"  
Barret smiled mischievously. "Can't tell ya, cause it's a secret." He winked at her.

"Don't make me hit you," Tifa threatened.

"I'd rather it if you didn't," came Vincent's voice from the top of the stairs.

"Yo, Vincent, didn't know you were here too," Barret waved. "Come on down n' join us."

They spent the rest of the evening catching up on old times, but once Marlene went upstairs to bed, Barret put a serious look on his face.

"Well, tell it to me straight, ya'll," he said, "what's gone wrong? Don get me wrong, I'm glad you guys came to visit, but there's somethin' up. It's not serious, I hope?"

Tifa and Vincent exchanged glances before they simultaneously pulled out the letters. "Let's hope not," Tifa sighed. "Here, take a look at this," she said as she handed the note to Barret. She continued speaking as he read it: "I don't suppose you've received one of those, have you? Vincent and I both acquired them under some rather...unusual circumstances."

"Oh?" Barret said as he quirked an eyebrow.

Starting at the beginning, both Tifa and Vincent related the incidents leading up to how they acquired the letters, the insights they'd gained thus far, and their thoughts as to what their next course of action should be.

Once they were finished, Barret could only shake his head. "Damn, man, that's some deep shit," he mumbled. "I didn't get one a' these things, though," he said as he handed the note back to Tifa. "Don know what the reason for that would be, but it doesn't really matter. I'm so close to finding that new energy that I can't spare the time to go on another adventure just yet."

"Perhaps this person had already assumed that, which would explain why you didn't get a note?" Vincent posed thoughtfully.

"Whoa, whoa, now slow down their compadre," Barret interjected. "I dunno who you two think this guy is, but there's a helluva lot a' circumstance involved in all of this. You think you may be giving him too much credit?"

"It's just that we don't know for sure," Tifa sighed. "That's why we were hoping that if we talked about it with anyone else that had been involved from two years ago that we may be able to come up with something."

"Well, like I said, I just can't spare the time to go with you," Barret said dejectedly. "Also got a few cases of that illness goin' around- got a lotta people scared, y'know? I gotta stay here to keep things in line."

"Geo-stigma," Vincent said flatly.

"Oh? So you've heard of it?" Barret asked.

"Heard of it? Oh yes..."

Barret wondered at his strange choice of words, but said nothing else.

Tifa, on the other hand, said, "I've heard of it, but I don't really know anything about it. Is it serious?"

"Not yet," Barret replied, "but it's still way too early to tell. It's mostly like a little flu, but it has some odd symptoms."

"But the name..." Tifa pressed. "You don't think it's a retaliation from the planet, do you?"

"Who can say?" Barret shrugged. "Any ideas, Vincent?"

"I really couldn't say," came his swift response. "If you'll excuse me, I think I need to lay down for a while," he said. Without waiting for a response, he turned and headed back up the stairs to his room.

"Wow..." Tifa remarked as she watched the cloaked man disappear upstairs. "He's acting kinda funny, isn't he?"

"When hasn't he been like that?" Barret countered.

"True," Tifa acceded. "But lately...well, I guess it doesn't matter. Anyway, what are your thoughts on this whole matter?"

"Hell if I know, woman!" Barret bellowed. "It's all way over my head. You and Vincent can do what'cha want. I'll stay here, but remember if ya'll ever need me for anything, all you have to do is ask. Hey, at least you'll know where I'll be, right?"

"Thanks, Barret," Tifa said as she reached out to hold his hand comfortingly. "I appreciate it."

"Don' mention it."

"Well, I think I'd better follow Vincent's example," Tifa said while stifling a yawn. She stood up and began making her way upstairs. "You aren't going anywhere tomorrow, are you?"  
"You kiddin'? Been so long since I've seen my daughter that I'll take the whole damn week off if I have to!"

"Good!" Tifa grinned. "Well, I'll see you in the morning, then."  
"G'night, Tifa," Barret called after her as she closed the door to her room.

FFVII

Bright and early the next morning Tifa descended the stairs to find that everyone had already gone outside. Fortunately for Marlene, Barret had cleared some room on his schedule so that he could spend some time with her. Where they were at now was anyone's guess, but it didn't really matter- it gave Tifa ample time to wander around the town.

For the most part, it was an enjoyable experience. Perhaps the only downside was the heat, which was something Tifa was unaccustomed to.

With this thought in mind, Tifa strolled into a nearby shop to see what was being sold. A small bell hanging above the door announced her entry, and an elderly woman appeared from behind the counter.

"Why, you must be Tifa!" she remarked with an amiable smile.

"You already know me?" Tifa smiled. "I'm sorry, but I...don't recall your name."

"Oh, never you mind it, dear. The last time you were here I never actually spoke to you directly. I only know your name by the way Mr. Barret talked about you."

"Really?" Tifa asked, somewhat intrigued by the woman's statement. "And what did Mr. Barret say?"

"My," the woman laughed. "He said that you were the only one on the planet who paraded around in a short, black skirt, a white tank top, and gloves."

"Oh really?" Tifa's eyebrow flinched.

"Now, now," the older woman soothed, "he also said that you were one of the prettiest girls you could ever lay eyes on."

Tifa's angered disappeared almost instantly and she chuckled. "Well, if that's what he said, then I guess I can let his comment on my attire slide." Still, her earlier remark almost made her consider a new wardrobe. Although she was fond of this particular outfit, it had certainly seen better days. The lining was growing thin and the colors had begun to fade; that, and the fact that she almost never took it off.

"Perhaps you'd like to try something on?" the woman ventured.

Tifa glanced around and almost broke into a laugh. It was either the biggest coincidence in the universe, or the powers at be were trying to give her a message. She was standing in a clothes store.

Only now did Tifa notice the clothes racks that sported various assortments of garments, overcoats, bathing suites and other miscellaneous types of clothing. "Why not?" Tifa shrugged. "Not like I've got anything better to do."

"Wonderful!" the woman chimed. "Now, what type of clothes did you have in mind?"

Tifa thought for a moment. Just because she was getting a new outfit didn't necessarily mean she wanted to change styles. After all, she needed to dress lightly so that she could move quickly in a fight.

"What sort of tank tops do you have?"

The woman flashed an irate glance. "Dear, you're never gonna find the right man wearing a tank top! Why don't you try something a little more refined? It doesn't even have to be a dress, see?" she continued, walking over to a rack with an assortment of casual attire.

"Um," Tifa stammered. "It's not like that, it's...uh, there's really no easy way to say this..."

The woman glanced at Tifa and waited patiently for her to finish.

"I get into a lot of fights."

"...?"

"I mean, it kinda comes with what I do," Tifa gave a nervous smile.

"I...see..." the older woman replied. "Well, in that case, you'd better dress up in something that says, 'Watch out or I'll kick your ass!'. I'd say from your skirt and gloves that you like black, yes? What say I rummage through here and see what I can find? How does that sound?"

Tifa smiled. "Now you're speaking my language." She then watched as the woman proceeded to wander around her store grabbing various items. When she was finished, she returned to Tifa and handed the clothes to her.

"Now go try these on," she commanded. "I'll think you'll like them."

Tifa obeyed, quickly slipping into the dressing room. Five minutes later she emerged wearing a pair of knee length, black shorts with a skirt overlay and a white tee shirt. On top of the shirt was a skintight zippered up vest lacking any sort of neck or sleeves. In summary, just the sort of thing she'd been looking for!

"This," Tifa said emphatically, "is great! I don't suppose you sell boots here, too?"

"What kind of store would this be if I didn't sell shoes?" the woman said proudly. "What's your size?"

"Nine and a half," Tifa answered. "Preferably something black!" she added before the woman disappeared into the back of the store.

A few moments later she emerged carrying a box. "If you get in as many fights as you say you do, these may come in handy. They're pretty flexible, but also durable, so you don't have to worry about them falling apart on you."

She handed the black and white boots to Tifa for her to try them on. As soon as they were laced up, Tifa immediately fell in love with them. Everything about this new suit was simply perfect.

"Something's missing," the woman mused. "I wonder..."

Disappearing into the back again, Tifa could hear the clattering sound of falling boxes and hangers. Soon she reappeared sporting a rather odd looking cloak. The entire upper half had been eliminated, so the only way it stayed attached to the body was by a silver belt that went around the waist.

"It's just a little something to add to the image," the woman explained. "Without it, I'm afraid your outfit isn't that much different from your old one aside from the color."

Tifa took the garment and fastened it around her waist. Then, looking in the full-length mirror posted on the wall she scrutinized the suite.

"Well? What do you think?"

"Can I wear it out the door?" was all that Tifa could say.

After paying the woman and thanking her sincerely, Tifa emerged on the streets with a lightened step.

"T-Tifa?" came a startled voice from behind her.

Purposely turning slowly for dramatic emphasis, she came face to face with a gawking Barret and Marlene.

"What the...?" Barret stammered. "When did you do THAT?"

"Miss Tifa! You look so cool!" Marlene shouted.

"You really think so?" Tifa smiled as she turned to let Marlene examine the outfit from a different angle.

"It certainly suites the color of your hair," Vincent spoke up as he took a position next to Barret. "But you know what would make it even better?"

"I didn't know you had an eye for fashion, Vincent," Tifa joked. "What?"

"Let out your hair. Having it all bunched up in a ponytail leaves a restrained impression. It would look more appropriate if your hair was allowed to move freely."

"The hell you talkin' about, Vincent?" Barret growled. "If I didn't know better I'd say you've lost your godda- I mean your mind!"

"I think it's a good idea," Marlene volunteered. "It's prettier that way, anyway."

"Well, if you say so," Tifa assented. Reaching behind her, she pulled the small, restraining ribbon out of her hair. After having had it for so long, though, she could bring herself to throw it away, so she quickly tied it to her arm and left it there.

"Well I'll be," Barret said under his breath. "Ole Vincent was right."

"Yes!" Marlene agreed.

"All right, then, who wants to go get something to eat in celebration?" Tifa cheered.

"Sounds good. A celebration for the first time you've changed outfits in...what? Seven years?"

Vincent had to duck in order to dodge a heavy swing Tifa had made for his face.

The remaining days they spent in Corel were thoroughly enjoyable. It was a lot of fun to talk about old times and relive old memories. However, all too soon the day came when it was time to say goodbye, if only for now.

"You know I've had a lot of fun, Barret," Tifa said as she gave him a goodbye hug. "Hopefully I'll get a chance to see you before too long."

"Same here," Barret agreed. "Y'know there's nothin' stoppin' you from visiting. Actually, tell you what."

He quickly went back into his home and emerged a few moments later carrying a small electronic device. "Do you remember what this is?" he said as he held the item in question out to her.

"It looks like...our old PHS? You've been carrying that thing all this time?" Tifa asked.

Barret merely shrugged. "It's actually come in handy a bunch. I've got a spare already, so I'll let you have that one, n' then we can talk whenever we wanna. How's that sound?"

Tifa smiled and took the PHS from Barret. "I think it's a great idea."

Barret nodded. Then, bending down to one knee so that he was at eye level with Marlene he said, "Now you be a good girl for Miss Tifa. After your done with yer adventure, come back here n' tell me all about it, okay?"

"I will!" Marlene promised as she embraced her father for the third time that morning. "You hurry up and finish what you're doing so you can come back to Midgar, okay?"

"Sure thing," Barret nodded. Looking over at Vincent, he joked: "Keep an eye on these two gals for me."

"Not a problem," Vincent said with a wave of his metallic hand. "No one will lay a false hand on them and live."

Tifa laughed nervously. "I don't think that's quite what he meant..."


	5. Chapter 5: Cosmic Revelation

With a final wave goodbye, the trio made their way south of Corel towards Cosmo Canyon. Although they had a little trouble getting their chocobos to cross the river, they eventually made it to the other side.

Once they'd done so, however, Vincent's face grew more despondent.

"Is something the matter?" Tifa asked, pushing her chocobo up to walk alongside her friend. "You seem kinda quiet..."

"I...must leave you for a time," Vincent said at last. "Head for Cosmo Canyon, and I will meet you there shortly."

"What do you mean?"

Vincent looked north and pulled the reigns on his chocobo to adjust its direction. "There's something I must do," he said flatly before he spurred the chocobo into an all out gallop.

Tifa frowned as she watched him slowly disappear over the horizon.

"Is he gonna be all right, Miss Tifa?" Marlene said as she pulled on the older woman's arm.

"Probably," Tifa ventured a guess. "I don't know where he's going, but he must have his reasons."

"I hope he comes back soon," Marlene mumbled to herself.

They continued riding on without their red-clothed friend until the landscape began to take on a reddish hue of its own.

"The air is funny here," Marlene stated as she looked around. "The sky is as red as the ground."

"The red dust in the air must make it seem that way," Tifa agreed as she glanced up quickly at the crimson sun. "Oh, Marlene," she spoke up suddenly. "When we get to Cosmo Canyon, we may meet someone there..."  
"Oh? Who is it?"

"Well, that's the thing. We called him 'Red Thirteen'; 'Red'; 'Nanaki'- any of those things. He doesn't really mind what we call him, but-"

"What an odd thing to say! I would mind if someone called me something besides Marlene!"

"Well, he really doesn't mind, but listen: he's not exactly...um...human."

"What do you mean?" Marlene asked suspiciously. "Is he a monster?"

"No, of course not!" Tifa laughed. "He's very sweet and nice, but he looks...well, kinda like a big cat." It sounded dumb comparing one of her best friends to a domesticated animal, but those were the only words she could describe him with.

"Really? Does he like to play with string?"

"Somehow I doubt that," Tifa said under her breath. "Look, just don't say anything mean, all right?" she instructed.

"I'm not a mean person!" Marlene protested.

Tifa laughed and left it at that. Well, she would soon find out for herself: Cosmo Canyon lay just over the next rise.

By the time they arrived at the city gates, the sun had already set, and the torch lights that lit the city at night gave it an iridescent red glow.

As she dismounted her ride, Tifa wasn't the least bit surprised to see that the first one to greet her was none other than Red Thirteen.

"Tifa!" he said happily, his tail waving sporadically in what Tifa could only assume was excitement. "It's been too long! How have you been? Was your journey safe? If only I'd known you were coming then I could have prepared a welcoming ceremony or-"

"Easy, Red," Tifa laughed as she leaned over to hug him. "It's not a big deal. We were kind of in the neighborhood."

"Somehow I doubt that," Red Thirteen said sarcastically. "And who is this little one you have with you?" he asked, indicating Marlene who still sat perched atop the chocobo.

"Marlene," Tifa began, "this is Red Thirteen. Red, Marlene."

Marlene's eyes were wide in amazement. "You look just like a big kitty!" she remarked loudly.

Any villager nearby enough to hear her remark laughed loudly. Red Thirteen tilted his head and smiled awkwardly, while Tifa buried her head in her hands and shook her head. "Marlene, I told you not to say anything like that!" Tifa scolded.

"No, no, it's all right," Red Thirteen said with a slight grin still spread across his face. "An innocent child could hardly be faulted for drawing any conclusion other than that one. Tell me, Marlene, do I look like any cat you have ever seen before?" he asked as he waved his glowing tail from side to side.

"Well, no," Marlene admitted. "Once Mrs. Thompson- she lives near our home in Midgar- once she had a cat that was orange, but he wasn't as pretty as you."

"Why, thank you," Red Thirteen replied, genuinely flattered. "It's not everyday I hear that from someone."

"Can I call you 'Fluffy'?" Marlene asked abruptly.

Red Thirteen stared back at her with wide eyes. By now, a small crowd had gathered to witness the exchange and all of them burst into extreme fits of laughter.

"Not everyday I hear that from someone, either," Red Thirteen muttered under his breath.

"What's the matter?" Marlene protested. She couldn't understand why everyone was making a big ruckus. "Miss Tifa told me that you didn't care what you were called. Is Fluffy a bad name?" she posed.

He glanced over at Tifa, who merely shrugged in response. "Very well," Red Thirteen sighed. "I gave Tifa the opportunity to pick a name for me, so I suppose I should give you the same courtesy." He walked up to Marlene and, whispering into her ear, he added, "Just don't call me that in front of anyone, okay?"

"Okay!" Marlene nodded.

"Good. Now that that's settled," he turned to Tifa. "What brings you all the way out here? Surely it wasn't just to pay a visit to little old me?"

"You make it sound like a bad thing to want to see an old friend," Tifa said with a mildly dejected tone.

"No! Of course not! It's just that...well, it's been so long that I was wondering if I'd ever see any of you again. I don't suppose you've seen the others have you? Cloud? Barret?"

"Well, I have seen Barret," Tifa replied quickly. "Still working on Cloud. Vincent's actually been traveling with me, so he should be arriving shortly."

"Oh? Where did he run off to?" Red Thirteen asked as he watched Marlene wander off towards the large bonfire in the center of the town.

"You know, I'm not really sure," Tifa confessed. "It's been a while since he left, so I suppose it could be anywhere."

"Hm," Red Thirteen replied absentmindedly.

"Something on your mind?" Tifa queried.

"That girl," he nodded over towards Marlene. "She is the one Barret spoke of, is she not?"

"Yeah. What about her?"

"I was just curious," Red Thirteen replied. "He has raised her as one of his own, yet she is not his biological daughter, is she?"

It was a rhetorical question, but Tifa responded in kind. "No. Her father had supposedly died while she was still very young. When Barret finally met him again, he was already dead in a way."

"You refer to Dyne?"

"Barret told you about him too, huh?" Tifa posed.

Red Thirteen shook his head. "It is only what I gathered from bits and pieces of conversation." Turning his head to regard Marlene once more, he said softly, "There's something about that child. I can't quite put my paw on it, but...it seems that someone is watching over her. There is a mystical energy about her."

"And what makes you say that?"

Red Thirteen returned his gaze to Tifa, who had moved to the chocobo to retrieve her bags. "There is something terribly wrong with the planet. It's not direct. In fact, it's merely a very faint impression, but...I feel that death hangs heavily in the air nowadays. Then again, it's not death in its truest nature, either."

Tifa pressed her lips together. "Listen, Red, there actually was a reason I had come here."

"I thought so," Red Thirteen nodded. "Do you want to go to the tower and talk about it?"

"Will Marlene be all right out here by herself, you think?"

"Of course. The townspeople here will look after her."

Taking him for his word, Tifa silently made her way up to the tower that stood at the pinnacle of the town. She was glad to see that the inside had not changed these past two years. Taking a seat across from Red Thirteen, she took a deep breath and waited for him to speak first.

"Are you afraid?" he asked quietly after a few moments of silence.

Tifa thought long and hard before she finally answered. "No," she said, "not for myself. I'm afraid for my friends- for Marlene, and all of the people. I probably can't sense it as acutely as you, but I can feel the mounting tension. I guess my biggest fear is that I won't be able to do anything to stop it."

Red Thirteen nodded. "You've changed," he said approvingly. "It's true, there is a new danger to the world. I've heard rumors of a disease spreading amongst the younger generation. Fortunately, Cosmo Canyon seems to have been spared for some reason, if only for now. If Grandpa- I mean Bugenhagen were still with us he would be able to enlighten us as to the cause, and maybe even offer a solution. But that still doesn't explain why you've come here in the first place. I think you should start at the beginning. I won't interrupt until you've finished."

After he spoke, he rested his forehead in his paws and closed his eyes. If Tifa didn't know better, she'd say it looked as though he'd fallen asleep.

Gathering her thoughts, Tifa began slowly. "It all started when Marlene came home late one night. She told me that she'd been talking to someone for the past few nights, and when I asked her about it, the person she described sounded an awful lot like Cloud."

Red Thirteen nodded, but did not speak, nor did he open his eyes.

"Naturally, I asked where she'd met him, and it ended up being in the same church where Cloud had first met Aeris. At first I thought that nobody was there, but then I heard a crashing sound in the back, and when I went to investigate, I found a small piece of paper."

Here, she stopped her narration and pulled out the said note and set it down for Red Thirteen to read. His eyebrows furrowed as he waited patiently for her to continue.

"When I looked up to see where it had come from, I saw a figure standing in the rafters that I could have sworn was Cloud."

"I assume from your tone that it was not so," Red Thirteen interjected softly.

"Like I said, it seemed like Cloud, but by the time I got to where he was, he had disappeared.

"So then I felt that I needed to follow him. I packed my bags and headed for Kalm, along with Marlene. I figured it would be a good place to start. I got wind that Vincent had been there and was headed towards Nibelheim, so I high-tailed it outta there and ended up meeting him halfway to Junon. It seems he'd also been given a strange note, which explained why he was out in the middle of nowhere to begin with."

"Forgive me, but I must ask a question," Red Thirteen interrupted. "Did he see the same person you did?"

Tifa shook her head. "No, he found the note lying in his room somewhere. The funny thing is, he went to try to find Cloud, too, but when he did, something was wrong. Cloud told Vincent that he hadn't sent a note of any kind, nor did he want any visitors."

"How unlike him," Red Thirteen remarked.

"Yes, that's exactly what I said!"

"And yet you say Marlene describes someone who looks like Cloud, and you, yourself saw someone you thought may have been him?"

"Well, I know it sounds stupid, but yes. Anyway, after that we went to Corel to meet with Barret. At first, we were hoping he'd be able to join us so that we could have a big brainstorming session, but he couldn't get away from his work. We found out that he hadn't received a note for some odd reason, but since he couldn't come with us anyway, it didn't really matter."

"I think I see where this is going," Red Thirteen said lowly, "but please continue."

"While we were there, something odd happened. We were talking about that disease, and Vincent made a funny remark- almost like he knew what it was."

Here, Red Thirteen's eyes hardened. "What did he say, exactly?"

"It wasn't anything direct," Tifa replied. "It was just a gut feeling- like he was hiding something from us."

"It's quite possible," Red Thirteen proposed. "As someone who worked closely with...Hojo," he said the name with a growl, "I imagine he may have been granted some insight- the likes of which we otherwise would not have access to."

"Do you think that's why he's disappeared right now? Maybe it has something to do with the disease?"

Red Thirteen shook his head. "Once you cross the river from Corel, there's a large cave to the north. If I'm not mistaken, that's where Lucrecia's late soul resided. More than likely he has gone there to pay his respects before he rejoins you here."

"Oh," Tifa said, covering her mouth with her hand. "I hadn't even thought of that...I hope he's all right."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Red Thirteen assured her. "Nevertheless, I think it would be wise not to let him know about our conversation. If for whatever reason he's hiding something, it could be harmful to confront him about it prematurely."

"I think so, too," Tifa quickly agreed.

"An interesting story," he said in reference to Tifa's narration. "Many odd developments. I don't suppose you've asked Marlene her opinion of the man? What they talked about? Especially considering the fact that she probably saw him face to face?"

Tifa's eyes widened in horror. "Oh my gosh!" she wailed loudly. "I can't believe I never asked her! How stupid of me!!"

"I wouldn't worry about it. Sometimes it's easy to overlook the observations of a child. Still, when you find time I would question her about it."

"Yes, of course!"

"In reference to the letter...only you and Vincent have received notes so far. And yes, from the look you're giving me I can tell you it's safe to assume that _I_ haven't been contacted either. It seems that only those who are free to leave their localized areas are receiving notes. You may know that I am now responsible for the protection of this canyon, and as such I am unable to leave at the current time."

"You really can't?" Tifa pleaded.

Red Thirteen smiled, but shook his head. "Tifa, it is my duty to protect this sacred place. You know I could never abandon that responsibility."

"Well, I guess so," Tifa sulked.

"It seems that whoever gave you the notes is either very intuitive or very manipulative. I think it's safe to assume that the person both you and Marlene saw was not, in fact, Cloud."

"What makes you say that?"

"It's just a rationalization. If Vincent, who was a former Turk, believed Cloud's story that he had not delivered notes of any kind, then it's safe to assume that he was telling the truth. The only problem, then, lies in the fact that not everyone has received a note. If someone were trying to manipulate us, then surely we would all have been contacted. But since only a select few have thus far been approached, it's safe to assume that it is more than likely a calling."

Tifa furrowed her eyebrows. "A calling to what?" she asked quietly.

"Considering the situation, I'd say it was a call to battle."

Not quite sure how to take that response, all Tifa could do was continue to stare at Red Thirteen and wait for him to continue.

"In a war, you mobilize every troop available to you _except _for the ones you need to work in localized areas. Barret, for example, is pioneering the search for new energy supplies. As for myself, I am upholding a tradition that has been passed down for generations in my family- essentially protecting this land that has been blessed by the planet.

"You and Vincent, and in a small way Marlene, as well, have been called to take action. For what purpose, I cannot really say. That, I'm afraid is something you will have to discover on your own."

"But if it wasn't Cloud who summoned us...then who?" Tifa demanded.

"That," Red Thirteen said with a wide smile, "is the sixty-four thousand gil question."

FFVII

They chatted for about ten more minutes before Tifa had to step outside. As it stood, there were simply too many questions that needed answering and she was getting fed up with it.

Briefly, Tifa wondered if she should just ignore Vincent's advice and seek out Cloud all on her own. Whether he wanted to see her or not, it would at the very least help clear up a few of the mysteries. Nevertheless, there was something about the way Vincent had counseled her- almost as if she'd be putting herself in danger if she went. If Cloud had truly changed so much, then Tifa had no interest in finding out for herself. She wanted to remember the Cloud from two years ago.

Sighing heavily, she descended the steps leading down towards the large courtyard. The bonfire that was steadily blazing earlier had now been reduced to smoldering embers. Fortunately, it still offered some comforting warmth as Tifa sat with her chin resting between her knees.

Thinking she heard a slight rustling sound, Tifa turned and found that Vincent was there, sitting next to her. If it were anyone else, the quiet approach would have been somewhat unnerving, but with Vincent such things were commonplace occurrences.

"Hey," Tifa said quietly as she returned her gaze to the dying flames.

She hadn't really been expecting an answer and Vincent offered none. The silence that passed between them seemed as deep as the oceans of Junon, but somehow it was bearable.

Then, Vincent asked: "Is Marlene sleeping?"

"Probably. Red Thirteen told me the villagers would look after her, so I imagine she's at an inn somewhere."

"I see," Vincent murmured as he lifted his eyes to gaze above.

"I remember a time," Tifa spoke wistfully, "that this was one of the only places you could really see the stars from at night." Once again, she wasn't expecting any sort of reply, so she pressed on. "It was a night like this...maybe twelve or thirteen years ago, that Cloud and I met under a sky like this one. It was when he told me he wanted to join SOLDIER. I didn't really know him that well, but I was still sad to hear him say it. Not long before that he had saved my life when I had fallen off of Mount Nibel."

Vincent nodded. It seemed he still was not interested in speaking, but he was at least paying attention.

Tifa laughed softly- a hollow thing that sounded anything but joyous. "And then when he came back, he saved my life again when he defeated the invincible Sephiroth while mortally wounded. I think...I'd known it deep down before then, but that was the first time I really noticed that Cloud was something special."

"His inward strength is colossal," Vincent admitted coolly. "I am proud to call him one of my friends."

"I think that's one of the things I like most about him," Tifa agreed. "When I'm with him, I feel like I can do anything. If it wasn't for him, I don't think I would have had the strength to finish our journey." Tifa's eyes watered slightly but she continued speaking. "I've waited so long to see him again, Vincent, but now I'm afraid. If he's really what you say he is, then I'm not sure if I could handle it. Has he really changed so much that he wouldn't...even want to see me?"

Vincent turned to look at the woman, but he did not reply.

"Is he even the same Cloud?" she pressed on. "When you spoke of him, it almost sounded like you were referring to him as an enemy. Is that what he is now? Because if it is, then I might as well go home right now! If he turns into another Sephiroth, I...I k-know that I wouldn't have the power to fight him."

"Tifa," Vincent said softly as he put a reassuring arm on her shoulder. "Perhaps the best thing for you to do now is to see him yourself. Ask him yourself whether or not he is the same Cloud from before."

Tifa sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes. "W-What do you mean? I thought you said-"

"I know perfectly well what I said," Vincent smiled, a rare sight indeed. "But while I was away, I had a chance to do some thinking. I realized that our situations may not be too dissimilar. When I was still a human being-"

"You're a human," Tifa said angrily. "I don't know how many times I have to say that before you'll just accept it!"

Vincent chuckled. "Very well, then. Before I became what I am now, the love that I had for Lucrecia was all that mattered to me. Even after I changed, it was that love that kept me sane. Rather, it was the thing that gave me the strength to fight my demons in order to become what I am today. Visiting her resting place today made me realize that Cloud and I are both very similar."

"Vincent, you don't have to..." Tifa trailed off.

"It's all right," Vincent assured her. "I think it's important that I tell you this. In the same way that Lucrecia was my support, you are Cloud's bastion. Namely, that no matter how much Cloud has changed, he is still the same person you fell in love with. Maybe you are all he truly needs in order to find himself again. If that is the case, then the sooner you find him the better. Otherwise, it is a very real possibility that the Cloud from two years ago will truly die."

"But...what about Marlene?" Tifa asked. Now she was merely trying to think of reasons _not _to go.

"I'll look after Marlene," Vincent told her. "Go. Now, and don't look back. You'll find Cloud in the Da-chao mountain range."

Tifa hesitated and looked as though she was about to protest the whole affair, but then she nodded resolutely. "Thank you," she said as she embraced him firmly before running at top speed towards the chocobos. She quickly pulled out Marlene's things and put them in a separate pack before she mounted the animal and sped away.

Vincent smiled as he watched her go, but he did not move from his position. "No, thank you, Tifa," he said to himself. "I don't know when we shall meet again, but hopefully you'll become an even stronger person before then. Because of your help, I think I finally understand what is going on."

So saying, he deftly got to his feet and walked over towards the inn. After finding her location from the innkeeper, Vincent slipped quietly into Marlene's room and gently picked her up in his arms.

"Mr...Vincent?" Marlene said groggily. "What's wrong? Are we going somewhere?"

"Rest now, little one," Vincent said softly. "We're going to see an old friend of mine in Rocket Town."


	6. Chapter 6: Stuffy Yuffie

Tifa's heart was racing. Now that she had come this far, she could not give into her misgivings and turn back! She refused to!

Continuing on at a grueling pace Tifa stopped only when the chocobo could go no further for the day. The distance she covered for such a short amount of time was vast, and yet she still wished she could go faster.

"What I wouldn't give for a ride in the Highwind," Tifa mumbled to herself one particular night as she pitched camp. Nevertheless, she was only a half a day's journey to the coast, where she would be able to rent a ferry to take her to southern tip of Wutai.

When she finally did arrive at the harbor, she had a rather difficult time getting the captain of the tiny vessel to agree to let her bring her transportation.

"I don't understand why it's so difficult to understand!" Tifa all but shouted. Civility had quickly become a thing of the past as they argued back and forth for at least fifteen minutes. "Once I get there, what do you expect me to do? Walk all the way to Wutai?!"

"Like I said," the man replied gruffly, "I ain't about to let no stinking bird onto my ship! They're noisy, they leave wonderful little 'presents' all over my deck, and they disturb the other passengers. Try to look at it from my point of view."

"I'm trying," Tifa grumbled, "and I've got my head so far up my ass that it's difficult to see."

"I ain't got no qualms about throwin' a lady off my boat," the captain said flatly. "You need to make up your mind before I do just that."

Fuming wildly, Tifa dug through her suitcase and withdrew a ten thousand-gil note and shoved it in the man's face. "Is THIS something your infinitesimal brain can understand?! I swear if you were any more hard headed, the goddamn universe would collapse into a vortex that revolved around the black hole you call a BRAIN due to the lack of oxygen that obviously has been replaced by enough cigarette smoke and booze to fill the goddamn crater on the Northern Continent!!"

The captain regarded her silently for a moment. Then, against all manner of logic, he burst into a fit of laughter as he snatched the bill from Tifa's hand. Oddly enough, his abrupt attitude change only angered her up all the more. "I-I think we can call this an arrangement," he said between gasps. "Tell you what, if you can come up with another little rant like that, I'll even give you your money back, eh?"

"JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!" Tifa yelled as she grabbed her chocobo's reigns and stormed onto the boat.

"Got a live one, boys!" the captain shouted to his crew as he followed closely behind Tifa. "Get this rig into open waters before she knocks a whole into the hull!"

"Yes, sir!" they all saluted.

"I hate you all...so much!"

That evening the boat pulled in to the small anchorage on the southernmost tip of the Wutain Continent. After she'd had a chance to cool off, members of the crew had approached Tifa and they spent most of the remaining trip exchanging stories. In the end, she decided that they weren't so bad after all. Yes, even that annoying captain turned out to be all right.

"See ya later, Tifa," he waved after her as she mounted her chocobo and prepared to ride off. "Y'know, yer something else. If you ever need anything, be sure and let us know."

"I'd rather shoot myself in the foot," Tifa stuck her tongue out. "I'll see you guys around," she waved before she urged her chocobo north towards the Da-chao mountain range.

Using the same format as before, Tifa was able to cover a rather large distance in a short amount of time. The next night, though, as she'd just finished setting up her tiny camp, an odd thing happened.

She heard a strange noise, but couldn't quite tell where it was coming from. Whatever it was, it was definitely nearby. Tracing the sound, she was surprised to see that it was coming from her suitcase.

When she finally located the source, all she could do was slap her palm against her forehead in disgust: it was static emerging from the PHS.

Shaking the device to try and get it to stop making noise didn't seem to be working. She wasn't very technically inclined, but she tried fiddling with the little buttons anyway to see if she could somehow turn the thing off.

"An.........-ing for th.....ion if............."

Tifa furrowed her eyebrows. Was she picking up someone else's signal?

Raising the device above her head, the reception increased considerably. After fiddling with a few more of the knobs, Tifa was able to get it through quite clearly.

"I don't know what the hell is going on, but it seems serious," said the voice.

"Hn. More serious than we'd originally anticipated, it seems," came a second voice.

Tifa's heart lurched into her throat. That voice...it couldn't be...

"What do you think I should do next? I'm kinda limited in my options, here."

"I'll trust your judgment on this one. If you think the Turks can be trusted, try getting into contact with them as well. They'll come in handy if we need fast information."

"They'll want money, you know."

"I don't care. Offer them whatever they want. Right now, we need answers."

Tifa could hardly believe her ears. One of the men talking was definitely Cloud. The other one sounded familiar as well, though...it almost sounded like...like Reeve?

Picking up the PHS, Tifa held it to her ear and tried talking. "Hello? Hey, Cloud? Can you hear me? Is that you?"

"Shit! Someone's on our line!"

"Change frequencies, zero-zero-nine-one-zero," came the swift reply.

The abrupt burst of static that emerged from the earpiece startled Tifa so badly that she nearly dropped the device.

Once she'd recovered, though, Tifa could hardly contain herself. So, Cloud really was around Wutai! At least this whole trip hadn't been a waste of time. Now that she knew for a fact that he was here, she would spare no time in looking for him.

The chocobo, however, had other ideas. It refused to budge, even when Tifa tried to entice it with a treat. It seemed she would have to wait until morning before she could continue her search.

The likely starting place would be the city of Wutai, itself. If Yuffie was still there, then perhaps she might know the whereabouts of Cloud. If not, then she might at least be able to help her locate him.

Now that she was so close to finally seeing him again, Tifa's heart raced. What would she say? What would _he _say?! Thousands of scenarios ran through her mind- some unlikely, while others were just plain frightening or silly. Whatever his reaction, she at least hoped it would be a good one.

With thoughts like these running through her head, sleep came with much difficulty. Finally, though, her heartbeat slowed and her mind quieted. Closing her eyes, she soon drifted off into a restful sleep.

By the following midday, Tifa crossed a small bridge that led to a plateau. There, just underneath her in a small valley, lay Wutai.

The quiet city of ninjas couldn't be a more mesmerizing site. Almost like Kalm, it seemed this out of the way place had remained somewhat unaffected by the recent turn of events.

In any event, its beauty remained unchanged. The elaborately decorated buildings stood firmly on a history that went back further than most cared to recall. Its citizens carried themselves with a quiet grace and pride that seemed to bask in the shadow of Da-chao, the holiest of places in the city.

Eager as she was to ascend the steep slopes of the mountain range, Tifa first dismounted her chocobo and went to the Pagoda Temple where Yuffie would most likely be staying.

As she approached the doors, two men stepped forward, blocking her way inside.

"Gentleman," Tifa nodded. "Is there...a problem?"

"Yuffie Kisaragi is not accepting visitors at this time," one of the men stated firmly.

"I'm sure she'd make an exception in this case," Tifa objected politely.

"I'm afraid not," the second man replied. "She has taken ill and is possibly contagious. In the interest of the people of Wutai, she has sealed herself in the tower and gave us strict orders not to let anyone inside."

"Is she all right?" Tifa gasped, all thoughts of sneaking past the guards vanishing from her mind instantly. "It's not serious is it?"

"Please, outsiders should not concern themselves with the affairs of our leader."

"I'm no outsider!" Tifa spat back. "I'm Tifa Lockhart! You know, Yuffie's friend! If she's ill, then I have every right to know whether or not she's okay!"

The two men exchanged glances, and then motioned for her to follow them. Taking a small dirt path behind the pagoda, they ushered her into a small, standing elevator. A series of ropes and pulleys allowed the user to ascend the side of the pagoda with little effort- presumably to wash the windows from the outside.

"This will take you directly to the top," Tifa was instructed. "Her room is the second one on the right. The window will be locked, so don't bother trying to get inside before knocking."

"Are you gonna strip search me when I get back to make sure I didn't steal anything?" Tifa said sarcastically.

"If we suspect you have, then yes," one of the men said in all seriousness.

Tifa paled slightly and quickly began pulling the rope to escape the now extremely awkward situation.

When she arrived at the top, Tifa counted the windows and knocked on the appropriate one.

There was no reply.

Knocking slightly louder, Tifa leaned forward and said in a hushed tone: "Yuffie? Are you in there? It's me, Tifa."

A slight groan came from the inside of the room. "Whooo's thar," came a groggy voice that was unmistakably the great Ninja Master's.

"Yuffie, it's me- Tifa! Open the window and let me in!"

"T-Tifa? What the hell are you doing _here_?!"

There was a shuffling sound as Yuffie made her way towards the window. She quickly unbolted it and threw the shutters aside, giving Tifa access.

Once Tifa was safely on the floor, Yuffie closed the windows and bolted them shut once more. Then, turning around she looked Tifa over from top to bottom. "Nice getup," she commented wryly. "Should have known you were the type to favor black."

"You look good too, Mom," Tifa said in reference to the oversized nightgown Yuffie was dressed in.

Flushing slightly, Yuffie clutched the clothing self-consciously and shook her head. "H-Hey, I'm sick, y'know! I have a right to wear what I want!"

"Oh?" Tifa said, scrutinizing Yuffie in the same way that the ninja had just done to her. Two years hadn't changed her that much. Fortunately, it seemed that the girl was no longer skin and bones as she had obviously filled out in more ways than one since they'd last met. Wearing a night-gown, she could almost truly pass as a fully grown adult female, though she was still a teenager. Her face had changed somewhat as well in that her features had become more defined and elongated, giving her a more regal appearance. Seeing that as she would be the new leader of Wutai, it somehow seemed appropriate. Her eyes, though, still held that childish spark in them that belied her true age.

"Yeah," Yuffie replied as she grabbed a tissue and shuffled back to her bed.

Regarding her for a few moments more, Tifa said, "Looks to me like you just have a cold or something. I hate to tell you this, but you're not dying."

"What are you- don't tell me Lucious and Antony wouldn't let you in!" Yuffie groaned. "Dammit, they take everything I say way too seriously."

"Sooo...you didn't bar entry to the pagoda and shut yourself inside for the good of the people?"

Yuffie's eyes bulged out of her head. "H-HELL NO!" she shouted loudly, resulting in a coughing fit that kept her hacking for a good thirty seconds.

Tifa laughed loudly at the poor girl's dilemma. "Well, you seem fine to me. You'll be yourself again in no time."

Yuffie, however, seemed dead set on finding out more of what was being said about her. "That's really what those morons told you?" she wheezed. "I'm gonna beat their asses so badly that-"

"Whoa, slow down there. They did let me use the elevator, remember?"

"...yeah, I guess so," Yuffie grumbled. Then her eyes lit up. "So, what'd ya bring me? Huh? Huh?!"

"W-What are you talking about? Why would I bring you something?" Tifa smiled curiously.

"Oh," Yuffie's eyes sank. "I thought you'd heard that I was sick and-" she pressed her index fingers together and looked sheepish- "came to visit me."

"Well, that wasn't my original intention," Tifa said as she sat down on Yuffie's bed. "I mean, I didn't even know you were sick. Now that I know, we can make it that way."

"Good." Yuffie said firmly. "I was wondering why no one was visiting me and I was starting to get kinda lonely."

"Well, turn it around. Why don't you come visit us, instead?" Tifa countered.

"Come on!" Yuffied rolled her eyes. "I'm only eighteen! Like I'm gonna take the initiative to go aaall the way to wherever the hell it is you live. That's what you old timers are for."

"Hey!" Tifa protested, "I'm not old!"

"Yeah, sure you're not."

"I'm telling you, I'm not!"

"You keep telling yourself that, oldie."

Tifa grabbed a pillow and smacked it squarely across Yuffie's face. That seemed to quiet her down, in any case.

"Now that we're off that topic, tell me: what have you been up to?"

"Not a damn thing," Yuffie said proudly. "Kicked all those half-assed walking advertisements out of town and really turned this place around. It's starting to go back to the way it used to be, y'know?"

"And you call that nothing?" Tifa queried as she raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Hell, yes!" Yuffie said emphatically. "I didn't do a damn thing. Just waved my shriyuken and said I had kicked Sephiroth's ass." She paused and furrowed her eyebrows. "Come to think of it, I don't think anyone even knew who Sephiroth was, so waving my shriyuken around was enough." She smiled awkwardly. "But enough about me, tell me about yourself! Last I saw, you n' Cloud were all buddy-buddy, huh?" she winked. "Am I right, or am I right? Tell me I'm right, dammit!"

"N-No!" Tifa said, her face taking on a deep shade of red. "We talked a little bit, and then he left. He'd said he was only going to be gone for a little while, but...he never came back."

"What? He stood you up?"

"No!"

"Wait a minute, lemme get this right: you haven't seen him at all these past two years? Not even a little?"

Tifa shook her head dejectedly.

"He stood you up," Yuffie concluded firmly. "That cocky bastard! When I see him I'm gonna kick him in the-"

"That won't be necessary!" Tifa interrupted quickly. "I'm already gonna give him the worst beating of his life, but Yuffie...I heard that Cloud was staying near Da-chao. Have you heard anything like that, or maybe have you seen him?"

Yuffie contemplated thoughtfully. "If he's up there, he's doing a damn good job hiding himself. I don't go up there too often, though, and the villagers think it's sacred so they don't even set foot in the place so, yes, it's possible he might be up there."

"If you don't mind," Tifa said as she slowly got to her feet, "I'm gonna check it out. I'll be back later to let you know what I find."

"Good. It's been so long since I've talked to another girl that I was starting to feel...y'know, edgy. Can't survive too long being surrounded by a bunch of guys. Well, you take care while you're up there, all right?"

"Why? Is something up there?" Tifa asked.

"Well, I don't really know for sure, but I heard some strange noises coming from that place. It was probably just birds, but you never know."

"I see. Thanks for the warning," Tifa replied as she headed out of the room and for the stairs.

Licious and Antony were no doubt surprised to see her exit from the front doors, but Tifa paid them no mind. Instead, she focused merely on what exactly it was she needed to do.


	7. Chapter 7: C & C's Big Debut

Slowly, almost painstakingly, Tifa made her way to the mountain range and began ascending the steep slopes. She didn't know exactly where to start looking, but it hardly mattered, for if Cloud were truly up here then she would run in to him sooner or later...preferably the former.

Unfortunately, it seemed that was not the case. The afternoon sun was now fading into dusk and she had no progress to show for it. He certainly wasn't making this very easy for her to say the least.

She hated to have to go back to Wutai, but once the sun disappeared behind the mountain it would be too dangerous to traverse the steep cliff. With a small sigh, Tifa began to descend. After a time, though, things began to look foreign.

"Is this...is this the same way I came up?" Tifa wondered aloud. Dammit, now she was lost in an unfamiliar place with no light. Figuring that she would be able to see the lights coming from the city at this hour, Tifa assumed she had somehow mistakenly begun her descent on the far side of the mountain.

Not that it helped much to know that. In this light even the tiniest of slip-ups would mean certain death; nevertheless, she did not want to stay on this frigid mountain all night long, so as carefully as she was able, Tifa continued her journey down. Testing each step to make sure it was secure before she placed her full weight on it was a lengthy and time-consuming process, though. It was already well into the night and she had probably gone no more than twenty feet.

Grumbling to herself over her bad luck, Tifa rested her foot against a small outcrop of stone. She froze when she thought she felt a slight movement beneath her, though. Keeping silent for perhaps two or more minutes, she eventually came to the conclusion that it was only her imagination. To be extra prudent, Tifa gingerly pressed against the outcrop she was standing on once more. Everything seemed to be all right, as it didn't give way in the slightest.

Then, she let out a startled cry as the entire section of land she was standing on collapsed under her feet.

It had all happened so fast: Tifa knew she was falling, and yet she couldn't see well enough to try to catch herself.

"I'm dead," Tifa cried to herself as she squinted her eyes shut and waited for the end.

Not less than a second later and her body crashed against a second node. The force of the impact knocked the wind from her lungs, but she was otherwise unhurt, though her mind was shaken so thoroughly that she dared not move for a small eternity.

Once she regained control of her mental faculties, Tifa slowly got to her knees and examined her surroundings. Judging from the length of time that she'd fallen Tifa concluded that it was no more than probably ten feet.

Something of a much more interesting observance, however, was directly in front of her. There, on the place she had landed, was a large cave that seemed to stretch deep into the mountain's bowels. Even more interesting was the soft yellow glow that seemed to radiate from somewhere inside the cave.

Very, _very_ slowly, Tifa got to her feet and made her way inside.

"This is it!" she thought excitedly to herself. "Geez, am I lucky or what?!"

Approaching the light source confirmed that it was indeed a residence of some sort. Various articles and papers lay scattered about the small cavern, yet it was unoccupied at the moment.

"Not a problem," Tifa nodded. "All I have to do is wait for him to come back."

So saying, she settled down on the blankets that were piled up in the far corner that were presumably where he slept and was dead set on waiting up for him. Once settled in, Tifa took a moment to examine the cave more thoroughly. Aside from the electric lamp in the middle of the small expanse there was very little as far as personal effects. Hygiene products and soap bars told her that there was a water source somewhere nearby that he used to bathe, which was a good thing, because at least he'd be clean when she saw him.

A small shimmer caught her attention and she turned to see what it was. There, lying haphazardly on the floor was a small locket.

"Huh. I didn't know Cloud had jewelry," she mused as she reached for the item. Upon closer inspection Tifa was surprised to see that it was the exact same locket that she now had in her possession! Quickly retrieving her own, she held them side-by-side for a more accurate comparison. There was no doubt about it now- they were identical. Were there two originally, or had one of them been a copy? The one Tifa had in her possession would most likely be the copy if that were true, considering the fact that Cloud had apparently never even left this mountain.

"Well, no need to worry too much about it," she reasoned to herself. "I'll just ask him when he gets back."

Nearly an agonizingly slow hour had passed and Tifa hadn't heard or seen anything to indicate his immediate return. Perhaps he wasn't coming back tonight?

Moaning, Tifa slowly fell to the side and rested her head on the soft fleece.

"I'm just resting my head," Tifa told herself firmly, "that's all. I am going to get back up...in fifteen minutes or so..." Her eyes slowly began to close and she stifled a mighty yawn. "Hm..." she inhaled deeply. "These smell like Cloud," she smiled as she quickly faded off into slumber.

She didn't know how long she had been sleeping, but when Tifa slowly opened her eyes it was still dark outside.

"Man," she groaned, "how long have I been out? I hope I didn't miss him."

Rising wearily to her feet, she made her way towards the entrance of the cave.

There, sitting in the mouth of the grotto with his back turned, legs crossed, sat a now all too familiar figure dressed in black.

Tifa froze in place, subconsciously holding her breath as if the slightest of sounds would cause his image to disappear.

"Cloud?" she asked cautiously. Or rather, she tried to ask- her voice seemed to have left her throat. "Cloud?" she whispered a second time. "Is that you?"

For a long time there wasn't an answer. Tifa merely stood there staring at his back waiting for him to reply. There wasn't a chance in hell she was going to say anything else, for she knew that he'd heard her. The ball was now entirely in his court.

Cloud slowly got to his feet, but he did not turn around to face his longtime friend. "What are you doing here, Tifa?" he said coolly.

"I..." Once again, Tifa's voice failed her. Here he was, standing in front of her at last! She'd thought of so many things she wanted to say when she finally met him, yet now they seemed so trivial that all she could do was stand there dumbly.

"You don't need to be here," he continued firmly. "I already asked Vincent to tell you that, and it was my understanding that you have been in contact with him."

Tifa almost didn't hear what he'd said, so concentrated on his voice was her attention. Two years had not changed the tone, yet she was able to tell that he had matured a great deal. Before, where his voice had been soft, but determined, it had now evolved into something more powerful; a strong fortitude that gave way to deep conviction.

Now, if only he would turn around so that she could see his face...

"You're not listening to me," Cloud said irritably. "I have no time to spend on stubborn women right now. I'm leaving, and I want you outta here before I get back."

_That_ definitely registered. An irrepressible rage welled up within Tifa's body. How DARE he! After abandoning her for so long, how dare he speak to her like that! Especially after she'd come all this way to see him.

"I've got a bone to pick with you, _Cloud_," she said, putting a bitter emphasis on his name. "I didn't come all this way to take that kinda crap from you. You turn around and get what's coming to you!" She hadn't forgotten the promise she'd made to herself.

Amazingly, Cloud obeyed and turned to face her. His jawbone and mouth had become more defined, but the most incredible things were his eyes. Before they had merely been a glassy blue, but now they were an iridescent azure that shone brightly and were twice as deep as any ocean.

"You left me two years ago without saying a word!" Tifa spat. "I promised myself that when I found you, I'd break your jaw with my fist!"

Cloud smiled. "If you can land a single punch, then I'll let you stay," he declared. "But if you don't, then you have to leave."

Tifa furrowed her eyebrows. Something about the way he said that gave the impression he believed she didn't stand a chance. Well, she'd show him a thing or two! She'd been nearly at his level before he left and though she was out of practice, landing a single punch should be a piece of cake.

Without waiting for his approval, Tifa rushed forwards and swung squarely at his jaw. She had been expecting to connect to his face so she was thrown off balance when her arm swung wildly through nothing but air. In less than a second, he'd been able to somehow get behind her without her even noticing.

She didn't even have time to react before she felt his powerful arms grip her and toss her out of the cave and over the cliff's edge.

"What the HELL?!" she screeched. He really was trying to kill her!

Much to her chagrin (especially after all the crap she went through the night before) as soon as she cleared the edge she saw the grassy bottom of the cliff a mere three feet below her.

Upon impact, Tifa rolled forward and used the momentum to spring back up to her feet.

"Too slow," Cloud remarked from behind her.

Tifa quickly spun around with a powerful roundhouse kick, but once again met with nothing.

"How are you moving so fast?!" Tifa demanded as she quickly tried to locate him. Her temper once again reached a boiling point when she saw that he was perched on a rock not too far away and smiling at her.

"Doesn't matter," he shrugged.

Yelling fiercely, Tifa charged once more as she concentrated her energy into her curled fists. At the last minute, Cloud leaped into the air so that Tifa's blow landed squarely on the boulder behind him. It shattered into hundreds of pieces that went sailing through the air, but Tifa paid them no mind. All of her attention was squarely on Cloud.

"You are strong," Cloud commented from behind her once again. He ducked to avoid a punch she threw at his face. "Your speed could use some improvement, though."

"Shut up!" Tifa screamed as she threw blow after blow, her frustration rising as Cloud effortlessly dodged every one of them.

"All right," he said. Deftly, Cloud grabbed one of Tifa's wrists and jerked her forward so that her face was next to his. "Now I'm going to show you what true power is."

With that, he raised his leg and landed a kick squarely on Tifa's chest that sent her sailing back at least thirty feet. The instant she got back to her feet, she was bombarded with blow after blow to her face, chest, stomach, and just about every other part of her body that was exposed, which was to say everything. Her eyes simply could not keep up with his movements in time to guard against his attacks.

A single tear trailed down her face, mingling with the sweat that was pouring from her forehead. The pain she could handle just fine, it was just...she could tell that Cloud was pulling his punches. He wasn't even trying, and already he was managing to humiliate her by utilizing her own form of combat against her.

"I'm sorry, Zangan," she screamed in her mind. "I...failed you."

Noticing her emotional state, Cloud stopped his bombardments and stood back to watch her.

Tifa was sweating heavily and her arms extended towards the ground to keep herself from falling over. "I..." she huffed lowly. "I lost." It was all she could manage for the occasion.

Something in the back of her mind wanted her to get on her knees and beg Cloud to let her stay, but she would have none of that. Her pride simply wouldn't allow it. Still, the thought of having to leave him was rending her heart in two all the same.

Cautiously rising to her feet, she looked Cloud directly in the eyes and said, "I lost. I'll honor your request and leave you alone..."

That was all she could manage before she felt like she would burst into tears. Vincent had told her no lie when he said Cloud had truly changed. She felt like telling him just that- telling him that he was a cruel and heartless shell and that she believed her Cloud from two years ago was dead. Surely, this callous thing in front of her could not be the one she loved.

All of these things she wanted to scream, and yet...she simply didn't have the strength. The fire had completely burned out of her soul.

Without saying anything, she turned and made her way back to Wutai.

"I didn't say we were finished!" Cloud yelled after her.

"Well I'm finished with you!" Tifa shouted back without turning around.

"The Tifa I remember never backed out of a fight- ever."

Tifa spun around and glared at him. "Like you have a fucking right to tell me anything, Cloud!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "You're the one who's changed! I never should have come here!"

Cloud merely raised his arms in a fighting stance. "Come at me. There's no reason to give up."

"You are SO dead!" Tifa growled as she ran towards him once again. Never in her life had she been so completely unhinged. The only thing that burned in her mind was the desire to cause Cloud Strife as much physical pain as possible.

Once again she concentrated energy to her fist, ready to deal an earth-shattering blow to the man who now stood before her. Yelling wildly, she swung her fist towards him, but then her eyes widened in horror.

At the last second, Cloud lowered his guard and allowed Tifa's attack to connect uninhibited by anything.

There was a loud popping sound as Tifa's fist crashed into his face. The force of the blow sent him flying back towards the cliff's side where his body hit the wall with such velocity that it became imbedded in the rock wall, itself.

"Oh my god!" Tifa gushed as she ran towards the fallen warrior. "Cloud, are you all right? I'm so sorry!"

"Ow," Cloud moaned as he pulled himself from the rubble. "I think you popped my jaw outta place or something," he mumbled as he gently worked his bones back into place.

"You...idiot!" Tifa barked as she slapped the backside of his head. "What the hell did you do a crazy thing like that for?! You could've been killed!"

"There's no way you can kill me the way you are now," Cloud said matter-of-factly. "I'll admit, you're one tough lady, though..."

Tifa wrinkled her eyebrows. She may be going out on a limb here, but..."Is this your way of apologizing?" she queried cautiously.

"Hn," Cloud remarked. "Take it however you want."

With that, he stood up and brushed the rock dust off of his clothes before he began walking back towards the cave.

He turned around and looked at Tifa. "Are you coming, or what?"

Tifa's eyes shimmered and she smiled. "Yeah, you bet!" she replied as she jogged to catch up with him.

FFVII

Vincent approached the door calmly. He did not know what awaited him on the other side, but surely it wouldn't be anything he couldn't handle.

"Now, Marlene," he instructed as he knelt down to her level, "I want you to wait outside for a minute, all right?"

"Okay!" Marlene nodded simply.

"And don't wander off too far."

Once he was satisfied that Marlene understood, he knocked on the wooden frame and waited for a response.

"It's open!" came a voice from the inside.

Accepting the invitation, Vincent turned the knob and walked into the small house.

The first sight to greet his eyes was the graceful Shera, who smiled brightly when she saw him.

"Vincent!" she cried joyously. "It's been so long since I last saw you! Are you alone?"

"No," Vincent shook his head. "I'm looking after an acquaintance's charge. She's outside waiting right now, but before she comes in I wanted to make sure that-"

There suddenly came the sound of a door crashing open from the back of the house.

"Goddammit, Shera! That fuckin' rotary blade still ain't turnin' and tomorrow's the goddamn deadline! What in god's name to I have to do to get that piece of shit to work!!"

Shera glanced sheepishly at Vincent. "I'm sorry," she whispered to him. "I'll let him know there's a child outside."

Before she had a chance to get to him, the great Captain Cid came storming through the hallway and halted as soon as he saw Vincent standing there.

For a long time, Vincent and Cid merely exchanged glances without exchanging words of any kind. Cid was the first to speak, though it was directed at his wife: "I hope you haven't been keepin' him here too long, Shera," he fumed.

"Actually," Vincent spoke up, "I just got here, and wouldn't you know it? Not two minutes passed before I heard that wonderful little string of expletives."

"Vincent can't handle a little swearin', huh?" Cid threw his head back and laughed loudly. "Sorry, if you don't like it, I'll try to keep it to a minimum."

"I think that's quite impossible, dear," Shera smiled as she handed him a small tray of miniature sandwiches.

"Goddammit, woman, don't tell me what I can and can't do!"

"If you would please try," Vincent explained level headedly. "I have Barret's child, Marlene, here with me, and I would appreciate it if you kept your vocabulary clean in her presence."

"Tsch," Cid scoffed as he took a bite out of one of the sandwiches. "Not a problem, Vincent, my man."

"And please put out your cigarette as well."

Cid glared at the ex-Turk with disbelief. Vincent's gaze was unrelenting, however, so he settled with an affirmative, "Yeah, whatever."

Moving quickly to the door, Vincent pulled it opened and called for Marlene to enter.

"Oh, how cute!" Shera gushed as soon as she saw the child. "Hello, Marlene, my name is Shera!"

"Hello, Miss Shera! You smell like smoke!"

Cid chuckled under his breath as Shera fumbled for an appropriate response.

"I'm afraid I must be brief," Vincent spoke up over the commotion. "Shera, would you please allow Cid and myself some privacy?"

"Sure thing," Shera agreed. "Marlene, would you like to come out back with me? Mister Cid needs me to fix a rotary blade for him." She looked over and winked at the captain.

"Goddamn bitch," Cid grumbled under his breath.

Fortunately Marlene and Shera had both disappeared outside before they had a chance to hear him.

"So," Cid began as he popped another sandwich into his mouth, "Wha brens you hare?"

"I'm afraid it's not pleasant. Things are beginning to be put into motion."

"What kind of things?" Cid asked curiously. "Is it bad?"

"I cannot say for certain, but I suspect that it is," Vincent sighed as he took a chair next to his friend. "There's no reason to go into too much detail, but Tifa and I have both been summoned and I cannot figure out why.

"I believe my conclusion is the same as Red XIII's- that we are seeing the beginning of a new threat. When and where it will come from I don't know, but it would be best if we were prepared for the worse."

"If it's as bad as you make it sound then why the hell are we sitting around here?" Cid demanded.

"An unfortunate necessity, I'm afraid," Vincent replied. "Barret is unable to join us, as is Cloud and Red XIII."

"I'd heard about Barret from Shera," Cid commented, "but I haven't heard anything from Cloud. Where is he, anyway?"

"That is a separate dilemma. It seems the shadows of Cloud's past have cut much deeper than even I imagined."

Cid quickly swallowed another sandwich before he spoke: "He's gone off the deep end again, hasn't he?"

"Not quite, but he's still unstable," Vincent corrected. "When I met him, he was very unworldly- as if he were no longer attuned to the rhythm of life on this planet. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that he is the danger I am sensing."

With that, he briefly described the events that transpired up to his arrival at Rocket Town. Sparing any details he thought were unnecessary, he rapidly brought Cid up to speed on the situation as it stood now.

"Wait a minute," Cid interrupted quickly, "Cloud may be a homicidal maniac and you sent Tifa off all alone to go and find him?!"  
"Don't underestimate the power that women can hold over men's hearts," Vincent warned.

"Whatever," Cid snorted. "I only answer to me."

"Honey? Can you bring me the number twelve ratchet?" came Shera's voice from outside.

"Yes, dear," Cid replied as he quickly got to his feet and made for the tool closet. Then, he glanced down at Vincent irritably. "Don't you say a damn word," he warned. "I'll be right back! And keep your hands off my sandwiches!!"

Two minutes later and Cid was back in his chair all but inhaling the few remaining portions of his meal.

"Where were we? Oh yeah, the 'danger'," Cid said sarcastically. "So what do you plan to do about it? It's probably not anything we can't handle."

"Possibly. But like I said, I just wanted to make sure you knew. I'm not going to ask you to join up with me, but I want you to be prepared, just in case."

Cid grinned menacingly and cracked his knuckles loudly. "I almost hope you do gimme that call," he chuckled. "I've been itchin' for a fight."

"There was one other thing..." Vincent trailed off.

"What would that be?" Cid asked.

"The Highwind. I have not seen it as of late. Is it still functional?"

"Yeah, she'll still fly," Cid replied, "but I kinda put it in storage. I figured once we'd gone our separate ways we wouldn't need it anymore, and it's way too big for just me n' Shera, even if it is just the emergency segment."

"I suppose. If you don't mind, could you have it prepped and made ready for flight as soon as you are able?"

Cid threw back his head and laughed loudly. "Good one, Vincent! Hah ha! Heh...oh, wait, you're serious?!"

Vincent nodded.

"Damn, man, that's...I mean I suppose I could have it ready by tomorrow evening or something..."

"Then there was one other thing, if it isn't too much trouble."

"Why don't you just write down everything on a goddamn list?" Cid said in a gruff tone of voice. "What's it now?"

"Would it be possible for Marlene and I to stay here for the night? Actually, to be more specific, just Marlene? There's something I needed to check."

"I don't suppose you'd like to tell me what it is?"

Vincent merely stared back at Cid without replying.

Sighing heavily, Cid got to his feet and went to the small sink in the kitchen. "You've changed a lost these past two years, Vincent, but you're still too damn mysterious. I don't mind if Marlene stays, but I ain't exactly comfortable around little kids, so try not to be gone too long, okay?"

"Then please tell Marlene I'll be back before tomorrow morning," Vincent said as he stood to leave. Hesitating slightly at the door, he glanced back once more at Cid. "Make sure Marlene doesn't leave the house tonight," he said quietly.

"Not a problem." Cid replied. He didn't even bother asking whatever it was Vincent meant by that particular statement. Without saying anything else, he watched as the dark haired man quietly opened the door and stepped outside.

Once Vincent had left, Cid quickly pulled out a cigarette and lit it. Inhaling deeply, he let out a steady stream of smoke into the air.


	8. Chapter 8: With Friends Like This

After they had returned to the cave, Cloud laid down to rest and only woke up when the sun was just beginning to set. Meanwhile, Tifa kept herself busy by tending to her own wounds, as well as occasionally examining the sleeping man that was next to her.

Once Cloud finally awoke, Tifa ordered him to lean back against the wall of the cave so that she could examine his face more thoroughly.

"That's not really necessary," Cloud began slowly.

"I just wanna make sure I didn't do anything permanent," Tifa remarked curtly. "I mean, you had it coming, but still..."

"Hn," Cloud retorted. "Now, don't take this the wrong way or anything, but if I told Vincent that I didn't want to see anyone, and I assume that he in turn told you, why did you come here?"

"Like I should explain myself to you!" Tifa huffed as she stormed to the opposite side of the cave and sat down with her arms and legs crossed.

"I'm serious," Cloud told her. "I mean, it's been so long, why come here now?"

"Isn't that reason enough?" Tifa sighed. Wearily, she balanced her head on her knees, but she kept talking. "It's been two years, Cloud- two, long tortuous years. Ever since that day you left, I kept waiting for you to come back...but you never did. Is it so odd that I would seek you out?"

"I suppose not," Cloud replied thoughtfully.

"Is that all you can say?" Tifa countered. "Don't you owe me an explanation of some sort?"

"No, I don't think so."

Tifa glanced up to look at him. She was trying very hard to hide the distressed look that must be showing on her face, but it didn't seem to be working very well. "Can't you...can't you at least pretend to be happy to see me?"

"Too much has happened since then, Tifa," Cloud explained firmly. "No matter how I may feel now, there are still too many things left undone. That's why I need to be alone. Surely you've felt it: the planet is in danger once more, but I don't know how to help."

"That's what your friends are for, Cloud! We'd all be happy to help you, and you know that! Why would you push us away so easily?"

Cloud merely shook his head in response. "You don't understand. Something so powerful is brewing that even I may not be able to survive it."

"That's a stupid thing to say," Tifa scolded. "You just beat to royal tar outta me."

"The world is constantly evolving," Cloud said lowly. "To some extent, I have been caught up in the evolution, but you seem to have been left behind. Our new enemy is stronger than anything we ever faced in the past. That's why it's better for me to try..." he trailed off.

"All alone?" Tifa finished his sentence for him. "You were our leader, but you were also our friend. You know that any of us would gladly sacrifice our lives for you, Cloud."

"That's exactly what would happen if any of you were anywhere near me," he stated. Quickly getting to his feet, he walked to the entrance of the cave so that he could look outside.

"I don't care what you think," Tifa told him brusquely, "but I'm gonna stay with you! If there's anything I can do- even if it's only something small or stupid- then I want to be there for you!"

"_I _don't want you to be there for me," Cloud contradicted hotly. "Our conversation is over, Tifa. If you do not leave, I will have to force you to go and...I do not want to force you."

Tifa stared coldly at his back. "Fine," she said steadfastly. "Just answer me one question: two years ago you said that you loved me. Was that all a lie, or did you really mean it?"

He wasn't quick to reply, but she saw his shoulders sag ever so slightly. "I..." he said unsteadily. "I can't answer that question right now, Tifa." Turning to look at her, he smiled gently- the first time he'd done so since she'd found him. "However, I can try to help you so that if things really do get terrible, you'll be able to withstand the onslaught."

"You might as well not even bother," Tifa said bitterly. "I've been practicing martial arts all my life, and I've reached a plateau. There's no chance I could ever be as good as you."

Cloud didn't bother replying. Instead, he walked over to where Tifa was sitting and, grabbing her hands, pulled her out to the mouth of the cave.

"What are you doing?" Tifa barked, snatching her hand away from Cloud's.

"Shh," he commanded, holding a finger up to his lips. Then, slowly, he cupped his hands together and stood still for a long moment.

Tifa was about to go back into the cave, but then she saw something that froze her feet to the ground: there, in the palm of Cloud's hands, began to shine a pale light that cast an eerie green shadow on everything nearby.

Tifa couldn't take her eyes away from the swirling green mass. So entranced was she by the shifting layers and wavy patters that she was barely able to find her voice. "What materia is that?" she whispered softly.

"No materia," Cloud explained just as softly. "Do you know what this is?"

Tifa shook her head, gasping slightly when the green light left his hands and floated over towards her face. The warmth that radiated from it was unlike anything she'd ever felt before- not like a fire's warmth, but more like a nurturing tenderness. "Lifestream?" Tifa said with a dreamlike voice.

"Yes," Cloud affirmed. He withdrew his hands and the light faded away as quickly as it had appeared.

"Is that how you were able to move so quickly?" Tifa asked forcefully.

Cloud nodded. "The power of the planet flows through my veins. With it, I am able to far surpass the abilities of any normal human being."

"I don't understand," Tifa shook her head. "How can any of that possibly help me?"

"The same power flows within you, Tifa," Cloud explained quietly. "That time, two years ago, you fell into the lifestream along with me. I think it probably takes awhile for the effects to surface, which would explain why they didn't show immediately afterwards."

"If that's true," Tifa said cautiously, "then how come I can't do the things you can do?"

"I wasn't able to get to this point on my own," Cloud told her. "Unlike you, I have been injected with the cells of Jenova. With the added effect of the lifestream I..."

"Yes?" Tifa pressed. "You what, Cloud?"

"I-I can't really explain it well. I can see things, Tifa," Cloud confessed to her. "I can hear things, too. The planet breathing, your heart beating...the cries of humanity..."

"You can hear people crying?!" Tifa inhaled sharply.

"Not in a physical sense!" Cloud corrected quickly. "It's more like an impression. I can feel an oppression- a malignant presence looming over them."

"Cloud, who told you all of this?" Tifa asked. Something was definitely wrong, here. Everything that Cloud was saying didn't make any sense. She didn't have superhuman powers! What a ludicrous idea!

"Aeris told me."

Tifa choked at his answer. "W-What?! Cloud, Aeris is dead!"

"I know she's dead," Cloud told her. "Didn't I say that through Jenova and the lifestream's combined power I was able to see and hear things? It was Aeris who helped me get to where I am now."

"How can that be?" Tifa rasped. Her head was swooning, and she had to sit down before her legs collapsed.

"After He killed Aeris, her body returned to the lifestream. But because Holy would only work through the intercession of a third party's prayers, she remained there until Holy had accomplished its task. However, the way she described it to me, she heard the planet's cries as it gave birth to an even greater threat than Meteor. Now that she is no longer alive, though, she needed someone to fight on the planet's behalf once again."

"And she chose you," Tifa said under her breath.

"Yes. She showed me how to use the power of the planet that lay dormant within me. She did say something rather odd, though..."

"Oh? More odd than hallucinating a dead woman?"

Cloud ignored her comment and continued. "She said that through me, she would gather the strength the planet needed in order to survive this final conflict."

"But you said that even you may not survive this battle," Tifa pointed out.

"That's why I can't understand why she'd say something like that," Cloud agreed.

Suddenly, Tifa's eyes grew wide, but she quickly hid her emotion so as not to attract Cloud's attention. Finally, she understood what had happened back in Midgar!

In the same way that Sephiroth had projected images of himself throughout their journey, Aeris used the dormant power within Cloud to project mental images of himself to her. Tifa assumed that she was also responsible for the note that Vincent found in his room, as well.

Tifa smiled inwardly. "_Thank you, Aeris_," she said to herself. "_Thanks to you, we may just be able to pull this off_." Tifa decided against telling Cloud that Aeris had summoned her here against his will- at least for now. Perhaps once he had warmed up to her a bit more she might run it by him.

"It's so ironic," Cloud chuckled dryly. "It seems that it's our destiny to fight for this planet until we die."

He certainly had a point. "I kinda thought that once he'd died it would all be over," Tifa admitted.

"Hardly," Cloud snorted. "I was injected with Jenova's cells the same as Him- as long as I am alive, Jenova is alive as well. Any one person who carries her cells is His progeny. No doubt He'll use that influence to bend others to His will."

"Then even in death he haunts us," Tifa commented mostly to herself.

Cloud nodded slowly. "Go rest, Tifa," he said quietly. "In the morning I'll do what I can to make you stronger. Once we've finished, though, you must promise me that you will leave."

Tifa would rather bite off her tongue and swallow it than promise such a thing! Still, it seemed that this was the only way she would be able to stay with him, at least for the time being. "I promise," she said firmly.

Sensing that their conversation had thus ended, Tifa retreated to the inner cavern and all but collapsed onto the blankets. Whatever it was Cloud had in store for her, it sounded like it would be difficult. She wasn't nearly as fast or powerful as he was, and yet he expected her to be able to reasonably defend herself against someone like him? Hell, she couldn't even see him move- much less defend herself against him!

Rolling onto her side, Tifa slowly fell into an uneasy sleep.

The next morning, she awoke bright and early although she didn't feel very rested. As she'd expected, Cloud was sitting with his back against the wall near the cave's mouth. She slowly tiptoed over to him and poked his shoulder.

No response.

Resting her palm against his upper arm, Tifa gave him a hefty shove that sent him rolling to the side.

"W-Whoa!" he gasped as his eyes darted open and he extended his arms in an effort to catch himself. He shot Tifa a vicious glance, but she merely smiled.

"You didn't really think I was gonna let you sleep in, did you?" Tifa chuckled.

"There are more considerate ways of waking a person up," Cloud retorted as he stood and brushed off his outfit. "I guess it's good you got me up early, though. The sooner we get finished with this, the better."

"Soo..." Tifa mused as she followed Cloud out of the cave and towards the mountain's peak. "What exactly are we gonna do?"

"First things first," Cloud said firmly. "You have to be able to manipulate the energy inside of you. It's actually quite easy once you get the hang of it."

"Somehow I doubt t-that," Tifa stammered as she stumbled over a loose rock.

"No, it really is. You already know how to use materia, don't you?"

"Of course! I know it's been a while since you last saw me, but you don't really think I'd forget something like that do you?"

"All right, all right, calm down. I didn't mean it as an insult. Sheesh," Cloud sighed. "Well, when you use a materia, you're drawing on the power and knowledge of the Ancients, right?"

"What of it?"

"Quite simply, you have that power within yourself now, so all you need to do is channel it without the aid of a materia crystal."

Tifa blinked. "Wait a minute...that's it?"

"Yeah."

"That's all you have to do to be able to do the things you did last night?"

"...yup."

"But!" Tifa protested. "No materia gives a person the speed and agility (or strength for that matter) you had!"

"Normal materia can't, you're absolutely right," Cloud agreed. "The source you're pulling the energy from is simply too small. However, the concentrated effect of the lifestream inside your body is ten- no, maybe fifty times stronger than any normal materia."

Now Tifa was starting to get interested. The fighting spirit inside of her was all too eager to learn how to exploit this energy to make her even stronger. "So tell me," she said quickly, "what do I have to do to use the lifestream?"

"Hold on a minute," Cloud said as he stepped up onto the summit of the mountain range and sat down on its surface. "Now then, sit down here," he instructed.

"Yes, sir," Tifa remarked acrimoniously as she took a seat across from Cloud.

"Good. Now, rest your elbows at your side, but extend your arms towards me."

Tifa did as she was told and waited for him to give her his next command.

Cloud moved his arm so that the palm of his left hand was touching the back of Tifa's; however, his right hand he set in the opposite position: the back of his hand resting in Tifa's palm.

Tifa couldn't help but laugh at the situation she was now in. "Cloud, you're joking, right? This is a game I used to play as a little girl."

"No, I'm being perfectly serious. I know it may look stupid, but I think it may be the fastest way to learn. Concentrate on your movements and try to increase your own speed as if you had used a haste materia. Now, try to slap my hand."

"All right," Tifa sighed, not all too enthused about the idea of playing kiddy games on a mountaintop.

"Wait."

Tifa looked up at him expectantly.

"Every time you miss, you have to do twenty pushups," Cloud grinned fiendishly at her.

"Whatever," Tifa waved his comment away. "I'll get this down by my sixth try! You wait and see!"

Ten tries later, and Tifa's arms were beginning to get tired from doing all the pushups.

"Dammit!" she wheezed, "what am I doing wrong?!" Whenever she tried to make a move it was like Cloud's hand phased out of sight completely before instantaneously appearing near his side- all while her eyes were wide open!

"You aren't concentrating hard enough," Cloud told her. "You still think it's too easy. You need to take it more seriously if you ever want to do it."

"I am concentrating!" Tifa whined.

Thinking he was off guard, she quickly made another attempt at hitting Cloud's hands, but to no avail.

She looked at him wearily, but Cloud merely smiled and pointed to the area where she had been doing pushups the entire morning. Groaning, Tifa slowly made her way over and began counting aloud.

"You can't think of it as just a mental trigger," Cloud explained. "Even with a materia, you have to focus your energy into it and will it to activate. If you can just try to imagine your body as one, big, giant materia then you'll make it a lot easier on yourself."

"Oh...yeah?" Tifa huffed. "How long...did it take you...to get this?"

"About a week," came his swift reply.

"A week?!" It had hardly been half a day and already she was so fatigued she could barely move.

"Don't worry," Cloud assured her. "I have food and water. There's a waterfall near the eastern ridge that you can bathe in...without too much loss of privacy, anyway."

"Hmph," Tifa grunted. If he was trying to scare her away, it wasn't going to work. Having finished her 'punishment', Tifa made her way back to Cloud and extended her hands once more.

"Uh, you sure you don't wanna take a break or something?" Cloud asked lightly. "You look like you're about to collapse."

"I can keep going!" Tifa replied hotly. "I'm not that weak!"

"Whatever," Cloud shrugged. "You still have to do pushups if you miss."

Tifa ignored his comment and looked down at their hands. Imagine her body as a huge materia? That was a dumb parallelism. Still, everything she'd tried up to this point hadn't worked at all, so maybe...

"_Okay, Tifa, just do what you do when you're using materia,_" she told herself firmly. Closing her eyes tightly, she tried to imagine that there was a materia inside of her body that she was trying to activate. That made sense, didn't it? The thing she was going for here was speed, so maybe a haste spell...

Letting out a heavy sigh, Tifa opened her eyes and looked down at her hands. She didn't feel any different. Dammit, this was all bunk! She would never get the hang of this.

Out of spite, she made one last effort for Cloud's hand, but she nearly fell over when her vision became blurry and convoluted. Leaning forward on her hands, Tifa heaved until the momentary sickness passed.

"God...dammit," she murmured under her breath. She'd missed again and now she was starting to get dizzy spells from sitting under this hot sun for the whole freakin' day!

Looking up at Cloud, she saw that he was looking down at her firmly.

"What? Yeah, I missed, so what?" she spat as she returned to sitting on her knees. "Nobody's perfect!"

"Tifa-"

"No, just don't say anything, Cloud! This is stupid! I'm never going to be able to get the hang of this!"

"No, but listen-"

"No, _you_ listen, Cloud!" Tifa countered childishly.

"...you almost got me..."

"It's impossible for me to d-wh-what did you just say...?"

Cloud let out a small chuckle. "I said you almost got me. I didn't think you'd do it this soon, so I wasn't ready."

Tifa furrowed her eyebrows. "Wait a minute, you're not kidding?"

Cloud shook his head.

"Then what was that double-vision thing?" Tifa asked. "I thought I was gonna die for a second! That was the worst feeling in the world!"

"It's just a side effect," Cloud remarked with a smirk. "Your eyes aren't used to you moving that quickly with a haste spell, so your brain couldn't register the movement."

"So...I actually moved kinda fast?" Tifa asked hopefully.

"No," Cloud returned flatly. "But you're getting the hang of it, and that's a start."

"Oh," Tifa said dejectedly as she hung her head. "So is it like that for you, too, then?"

"Since I'm used to it I can see normally whenever I'm moving that fast," Cloud told her. "Once you can sustain that speed, you'll get used to it very..._very_ fast, believe me."

The motion sickness had now completely passed, so now Tifa was eager to try again. She held her arms out and waited patiently for Cloud, but he merely shook his head.

"What?"

He pointed to that damnable place on the rock and said: "You owe me twenty pushups."

Tifa gave him a look that could've melted steel, but she complied. "Don't think I'll forget this when I'm as strong and fast as you!" she said venomously.

"I'll be looking forward to the challenge," Cloud replied easily.

Near the end of the day, Tifa had gotten over the sickness that usually accompanied her increased speed, and yet it still wasn't nearly fast enough to win Cloud's game. Her arms and just about every other part of her body ached. When it had gotten to the point where she could no longer move her arms to do pushups, Cloud had switched it to sit-ups; then, leg lifts. Needless to say, Tifa was now thoroughly drenched in sweat and all too eager to end the training session.

"One more time," Cloud said jovially, "and then we can stop. I won't even make you do an exercise."

Tifa groaned. The strain of constantly using up her mental stamina was taking its toll as well. Figuring one more try wouldn't do any harm, Tifa held out her arms and- concentrating once more- attempted to slap Cloud's hand, but to no avail.

"Don't worry about it," Cloud said after a long moment of silence. "You may not be able to tell, but you're getting much faster. As a matter of fact, I'm surprised you even got this far on your first day."

"Can...can I go to sleep, now?" Tifa said groggily. Her eyelids were so heavy that she could barely keep them lifted.

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "You wanna sleep up here on top of the mountain?"

"Who cares?" Tifa yawned as she leaned back and tried to go to sleep where she was sitting. "I can't...get down the cliff like this."

"Fine," Cloud chuckled. Getting to his feet, he leaned over Tifa and lifted her up, cradling her in his arms.

Tifa would have protested, but she was simply too tired. That, and she couldn't pass up the opportunity for a free ride back down to her bed. She may have been too tired to move, but she knew that sleeping on the rock face wouldn't be any fun at all.

"What's that noise?" Tifa asked softly.

Cloud listened intently for a few moments before he spoke. "Oh, that's just some stupid animal that lives up here."

"Is it dangerous?"

"Well," Cloud replied, "it tried to attack me when I first came here, but...well, let's just say I decided to leave it alive to keep other people away. It stopped bothering me all together after that first night."

"Charming," Tifa said dryly. "You sure have a way with words, Cloud."

"Still, it's kinda funny that it's moving about this early. Usually it only comes out at night."

"And that's supposed to mean what? That it's stalking somebody?"

Cloud noticed the death glare she was giving him, so he sighed, "All right, all right, fine! We'll go and check it out. You have to walk on your own, though."

"Deal," Tifa agreed as Cloud set her down onto her feet. Though it was only for a short while, the time she spent off of her feet helped replenish a bit of her energy- enough to move around, at least.

She hadn't gone farther than two steps, though, before she heard a muffled thump. Glancing over to see where it was, she let out a quick gasp and took a step backwards.

"What?" Cloud asked, looking behind him. Following Tifa's gaze, his eyes hardened at the sight that lay before him.

There, on the ground, was the head of a large rapps. Its jaws were open wide and the nostrils still flared slightly for a few moments before the beasts eyes grew dim as it passed away.

Cloud turned around and looked up to see a lone figure sitting on the rock face, staring directly back at him. Covered in blood that was not his own, the lone man looked down with a serene grin plastered on his face.

"It seems the poor creature didn't like strangers," he spoke melodically.


	9. Chapter 9: Orchrist

At first Cloud didn't respond. This strange person was dressed in an oversized black cloak that would've hanged to the ankles had he been standing. The collar was raised so high as to nearly cover the man's chin. The overall impression Cloud got was not too dissimilar from Vincent as far as clothing was concerned. Judging from the voice, though, Cloud assumed he was no older than his late teens or early twenties.

"Who are you?" Cloud asked coolly.

"What did you do that for?!" Tifa shouted suddenly. "If you had to kill it, fine, but...why'd you have to take its head off, too?"

"Tifa, be quiet!" Cloud commanded abruptly. Returning his gaze to the stranger he repeated, "Who are you? What is your name?"

"My name?" the man smiled. He slowly made his way down to Cloud's level and approached smoothly. "The name my father gave me was Kether. Kether Elyon."

Now he was standing face to face with Cloud, but neither man backed down. For her part, Tifa moved some distance away. Something about that man made her extremely uncomfortable in such a way as to instill a sense of fear in the pit of her stomach. This man, like Cloud, was way out of her league.

"But my friends just call me Kether," he continued without missing a beat.

"What are you doing here?" Cloud demanded without raising his voice.

"I merely came to observe you," Kether bowed regally. "I hope you don't mind, but you are simply the most fascinating person I've ever met. And a good teacher, too, I might add," he said, indicating Tifa.

"Watch what you say, Kether," Cloud replied evenly. "I don't like being observed any more than I like intrusions. Once my business with Tifa is finished she will leave."

Kether merely shook his head. "As cold as ever, I see. Then will you permit me to stay until you deem she is ready?"

"No," Cloud said flatly. "I don't want intrusions of any kind. The fact that you knew where to find me makes it evident to me that you already know more than you should."

"Your words are harsh," Kether commented. Looking around the area they were standing in, he commented: "Where is your legendary sword? Did you throw it away as easily as you did your friends?"

"That's none of your concern," Cloud replied with an icy glare. His eyes narrowed threateningly. "Your welcome has officially worn out. If you aren't gone in five seconds I will kill you."

"Please, calm down," Kether replied softly. "I did not come here for a confrontation."

"Then leave."

"I'm afraid that's not possible," came the swift answer. "I came to see you, and to speak with you, and I will not leave until I have done that."

"Cloud," Tifa said cautiously, "why not just let him stay for a bit? What's the harm in it?"

"The harm," Cloud replied coldly, "is that this man knew where to find me. He also seems to know an awful lot about me for someone I've never met. Also, I don't have time for intrusions from anyone. Why do you think I agreed to let you stay only for a short while?"

"You should have more respect towards a woman," Kether chided.

Cloud reached out and grabbed Kether's oversized collar in his hand. "You had your chance."

With his free hand, he reached back and swung towards Kether's face.

Incredibly, Kether reached up to catch Cloud's hand in his own. Using Cloud's brief surprise to his advantage, Kether brought his left hand up and smashed it into Cloud's rib cage, sending the man sailing back towards the cliff's plateau.

"Cloud!" Tifa cried as she ran after him. Before she'd even arrived, Cloud was back on his feet and staring intently at his opponent. "Cloud, are you all right?" she gushed.

Cloud ignored her, all but shoving her to the side as he made his way towards Kether once more.

"What are you?" Cloud said in a dangerously low voice.

Kether regarded Cloud silently for a moment before he answered. "It was not my intention to hurt you, Cloud," he said in an equally severe tone, "but you left me no other option."

"Don't lie to me!" Cloud said angrily. "I can sense the murderous intent in your heart!"

Kether's eyes hardened, but then he threw back his head and laughed wildly at Cloud's response. "Cannot even enemies share a moment of civility before the inevitable conflict?" he posed. "But if you are so eager to die, then come at me!"

"W-Wait a minute!" Tifa interrupted. "Guys, don't fight! Can't we try to talk this over?"

"It's you, isn't it?" Cloud stated, ignoring Tifa's comment. "You're the danger I've been sensing."

"Am I the true danger?" Kether countered. "Perhaps you should do a little more searching before you so erroneously place blame on someone."

"I can't think of any other reason why you would come here," Cloud replied with a snarl. "Tell me, then- if you aren't, then who is?"

Kether closed his eyes and lowered his head. "One of us," he said so lowly that Tifa could barely hear him, "is the true savior of this planet. It is because of your actions that this is necessary, for by saving the planet all you have done is ensure its destruction. Is it not safe to assume, then, that _you _are the danger to this planet?"

"W-What?!" Cloud huffed. "That's insane! I've been fighting to save the planet!"

"As I said before, all you have done is ensure its destruction."

Now Cloud was thoroughly enraged. After all the pain and hardship he'd gone through, he wasn't about to let someone label him as some sort of villain- much less someone whom he'd never met before. "If that's the case," he shouted, "then what good were all of our struggles from two years ago?!"

Kether seemed not to hear him, as he continued speaking. "Surely you realize that there can only be one savior, for whenever two opposing forces battle, one is right and the other is wrong. It is for this reason that we must fight- to determine who will become the true savior of this planet."

Tifa couldn't believe what she was hearing. This conversation was like something out of a dream. On the one hand was Cloud, who for all intents and purposes had become nothing short of a hermit in her eyes, and on the other was a young man accusing the champion of humanity as being nothing but a desperado. Something like this could not be allowed to continue!

"You're wrong!" Tifa shouted at Kether. "People fight because of a difference in opinions. While it's true that one side may be wrong, it's also a possibility that each side truly wants what is best for everyone!"

"But look at what Cloud has won for this planet," Kether replied coolly. "Entire cities lay in ruins; families are dying of starvation every day; the children of this world cry out for help, but their pleas fall on deaf ears!"

"That's a lie!" Tifa yelled back. "I've never seen any of the things you're talking about!"

Kether turned and regarded Tifa with a piteous look on his face. "You do not see merely because you do not want to see," he explained gently. "I know that in the area of Midgar where you live there are none suffering; however, Tifa, you must understand that this world is vast. There are towns you have not yet been to, people you have not seen- and all of these that you are unaware of- but just because you do not know of them doesn't mean that they aren't there. People _are _suffering, Tifa. People _are _dying."

Over the course of their dialogue, Cloud's face steadily became a mixture of anger and utter bewilderment. "No! I fought for this planet! I nearly sacrificed my life for this planet! I won't believe that everything I strived for was in vain!"

"Believe it," Kether smiled. "Look at reality as it is now and see for yourself."

"But...what other choice did I have?" Cloud whispered mostly to himself. "How could I not have...? Was it...was my life wasted on some meaningless undertaking?"

"Cloud, no!" Tifa countered his self-deprecating statement. "Think of what would've happened if you hadn't done anything at all! Sephiroth would've destroyed this planet!"

Once again, Cloud ignored her comment. His face was now brimming with fury as he looked towards Kether with a malicious glare. "I don't care what you say!" he shouted defiantly. "I know the reasons why I did what I did, and for me they were good ones! If what I did was so wrong, what would you have done in my stead? What do you intend to do for the planet that I couldn't?!"

Kether raised his arms dramatically and looked towards the distant sky. "I will guide humanity through its next evolutionary phase. I will heal this broken world and rejuvenate its peoples in a way that can only be described in the flight of the imagination!"

"You think you're some kind of god?!" Cloud growled viciously. "Who are you to determine what path humanity takes?"

Kether lowered his arms and regarded Cloud seriously. "Do not forget that it is not for my sake that I do all of this."

"You bastard!" Cloud bellowed loudly. Without a sound, he instantly closed the distance between him and his new opponent, leaping into the air only to come crashing down with his fist extended.

Kether merely stepped to the side and avoided the attack entirely.

The surprised look in Cloud's face quickly vanished as he narrowed his eyes in concentration. This was no ordinary human being. Not unlike himself, Kether seemed to possess abnormal agility.

Hand to hand combat seemed to be having no effect at all. For every attack Cloud made, Kether either blocked or dodged it entirely. Unfortunately, his martial arts skills were somewhat lacking. Maybe throwing away his sword hadn't been such a good idea after all...

"How boring," Kether said jadedly. He reached out and caught Cloud's fist midair. "If you're going to fight me, you'll have to try harder than this."

So saying, he wrenched Cloud's wrist painfully to the side, eliciting a startled cry from him.

Sensing a second presence behind him, Kether turned to see Tifa charging him wildly. He briefly considered ignoring her all together, for even though she hadn't laid a finger on him he could tell that she was pathetically weak. Nevertheless, an attack bared against him could not go unnoticed. With a mere flick of his wrist, he sent her soaring backwards where she landed unceremoniously on the rocky ground.

With a swift knee to Cloud's gut, Kether released the defeated man and walked over to the fallen woman.

"Tifa," he said with a hint of amusement, "your skills are so pathetically insignificant as to be laughable."

She looked up at him and tried to speak, but her throat choked as she coughed up blood.

"However," he continued, "I must applaud your spirit. It's unfortunate that you associated with Cloud, though, because now I will have to kill you as well."

"_Guilty by association, eh_?" Tifa thought sardonically.

Moving his hand inside of his coat, Kether withdrew an intricately carved sword of a make that Tifa had never seen before. Wherever he'd gotten it from, the blade radiated energy unlike anything she'd ever felt before- almost as if the sword were...alive.

"I promise you won't feel a thing," he said as he thrust towards Tifa's heart with his weapon.

Tifa closed her eyes tightly and waited for the pain of the sword as it would pierce her. She briefly recalled that being stabbed with Sephiroth's sword had been the most painful experience in her life. With any luck, Kether would be true to his word and make it quick.

After a few moments without feeling anything, however, Tifa slowly opened her eyes. Now, standing in front of her, was Cloud, stationed between her and Kether's blade.

"Cloud, no!" Tifa screamed.

Cloud's eyes were brimming with wrath, even as blood trickled from his mouth along with the wound Kether had given him. "I'm not...gonna let you kill her!" Cloud hissed between clenched teeth.

Looking down, he grasped the sword with his hands and, grunting slightly, jerked it from his body.

He valiantly tried to raise his arms to continue the fight, but his vision began to grow dim.

"No..." Cloud ground his teeth together. "No, I can't...die here! I won't!" he whispered even as he collapsed onto the ground. Cloud could tell that no amount of strength or willpower could save him now. He was dying, and that's all there was to it.

"I'm afraid you have no other choice," Kether laughed wildly. "It appears that you care for your friends more than you thought, but once you die I will kill her, too. So, Cloud, die knowing that your sacrifice will have been for nothing!"

"Damn...you..." Cloud said heavily.

"Please!" Tifa managed with a slight gurgle as Kether raised his sword to plunge it into Cloud's back.

Kether turned his head to look at her silently for a moment, but then he closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. "It is my father's will!" he replied desperately.

With one final motion, he raised his sword and plunged it towards his unconscious foe. Just as he was about to penetrate Cloud's body, though, Kether's right arm exploded into a bloody mixture of flesh and sinew that splattered onto anything nearby. Crying out in pain, he dropped the sword and fell to his knees, clutching his injured arm.

Tifa looked past Kether and saw something that almost made her shout for joy. There, racing toward them in the distance, was the Highwind.

Kether glanced down at the still conscious Cloud and managed a slight grin. "It seems our battle will have to be postponed. Until then, farewell."

He quickly reached over for his sword, closed his eyes, and chanted a spell that Tifa had never heard before. Its purpose became clear, however, when the light around him shifted unnaturally before he vanished from sight.

Not two minutes later and the Highwind pulled up toward the cliff face. Vincent leapt off of the balcony and ran over toward where Cloud and Tifa both lay.

"I'm all right," Tifa said weakly, "but Cloud's been stabbed! Please, take care of him first!"

Vincent nodded as he picked up Cloud's limp body and swiftly boarded the Highwind. Soon, Cid emerged from the door that Vincent had entered and made his way to Tifa.

"Hey there, sport, long time no see," he said halfheartedly as he lifted her into his arms. "Seeing you injured wasn't exactly what I had in mind for our next reunion."

"He bleeds red," Tifa said absent-mindedly.

"Huh?"

"Kether- he bleeds red. He's only a human. The next time I see him..." she trailed off to inhale deeply, "...I'm going to kill him for sure."

Cid didn't reply. Instead, he merely brought her aboard the Highwind and placed her on a small cot that lay just outside the cockpit. "Stay here," he said firmly. "I'm gonna go help Vincent with Cloud."

"Don't let him die," Tifa begged even as her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell unconscious.

The last thing she heard was Cid's affirmative response before she blacked out completely.


	10. Chapter 10: A Brief Respite

Cid had returned to the cockpit after he'd made sure that Tifa's condition was stable. Just as he was about to finish his third smoke, Vincent came through the door.

"How is he?" Cid asked as he discarded his old one and lit a new cigarette.

"Cloud is very fortunate," Vincent said evenly. "The wound didn't seem to puncture any major organs. He did lose a lot of blood, though. He'll probably be unconscious for a while."

"How will he feel about...y'know, us picking him up?"

Vincent shrugged. "I know he probably didn't want to die out there, so I'm sure he'll get over it."

"He damn well better!" Cid replied angrily. "I didn't come all the way here to get chewed out by his sorry ass! He's lucky we left when we did; otherwise, we wouldn't have made it here in time." He glanced over at Vincent and nodded approvingly. "Nice shot, by the way."

"Thank you. It would seem the skills I acquired in the past did not go to waste entirely."

"Don't be so damn modest," Cid remarked vehemently. "We musta been at least one or two miles out! Add to that the fact that we were moving when you took the shot and I'd say it was near the closest thing to a goddamn miracle I've ever seen."

"It is of no consequence," Vincent replied, waving Cid's comment away with his hand. "What matters is that we've found Cloud. Tifa seems to be doing all right, as well. Once she wakes up I would like to ask her a few questions."

"You n' me both, pal," Cid remarked dryly. "I saw that guy they were fightin' and he's definitely no pushover if he could take out Tifa and Cloud at the same time."

"I'm more concerned with what information Tifa was able to get from our friend," Vincent replied. "There are still too many things I do not know that I feel I must."

"Is that why you went out last night?" Cid ventured a guess.

Vincent gave Cid a hard glare before giving a definite: "No."

"Damn, man, don't get so bent," Cid murmured. "I was just askin'."

Vincent let out a heavy sigh. "Forgive me, I did not intend for that to come out so harshly."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Cid replied gruffly. "We're all tense right now. Look, I know you like keepin' to yourself n' all, but if there's something botherin' you just let us know."

Impossibly, Vincent let out a small chuckle. "You sound like Tifa," he grinned.

Cid's face grew wild with rage. "Fine, fuck it!" he yelled loudly. "See if I ever help you again! Compare me to a woman..." Cid murmured almost inaudibly. With that, he stormed over to the controls of the ship and planted his hands firmly on the wheel. "Where the hell are we goin', anyway?"

"No place in particular at the moment," Vincent replied. "If you like, I suppose we could go back to Rocket Town to pick up Marlene."

"The hell we will!" Cid retorted. "If some lunatic's chasin' after Cloud, the last thing we need is some helpless kid runnin' around. She might be killed!"

"If Shera does not mind looking after her, then Marlene can stay there," came Vincent's easy answer. "It was merely a suggestion."

"Then where?" Cid repeated. "This thing costs money to keep in the air."

"Would it be too much trouble to go back to Midgar for a while?" came Tifa's haggard voice as she walked through the entryway.

"Dammit, Tifa, you should be in bed!" Cid fumed.

Vincent cast an irritated glance at the captain but addressed Tifa instead. "He's right, you know. Your wounds need time to heal."

"Just use a cure materia or something and I'll be fine!" Tifa protested. "I'm really not that bad!"

"You cannot rely too heavily on materia to heal all of your wounds," Vincent argued gently. "Your body must repair itself naturally."

"Just listen to the man, Tifa," Cid added. "There's no need for you to be up n' about, anyways."

"Look, will you two stop babying me? I'm fine, really!"

Vincent and Cid exchanged nervous glances, but soon relented. "No arguin' with a woman, anyway," Cid whispered to Vincent. Then, more loudly: "You can stay, but you have to sit your ass down in a chair somewhere."

"Nice," Tifa remarked tartly. Retrieving a fold up chair from the corner of the room, she carried it to the center area where Cid and Vincent had been talking and sat down. "First thing's first: is Cloud gonna be all right?"

"He'll be fine," Vincent answered. "His breathing and heartbeat are normal, and right now all he needs is rest."

"I don't suppose you'd mind telling us what the hell happened up there, do ya?" Cid asked eagerly. "The last thing I expected to see when I came here was you and Cloud about to be obliterated."

"It's...kind of a long story," Tifa cautioned.

Before Cid could reply, Vincent sat down next to Tifa and stared directly into her eyes. "We're listening," he said simply.

FFVII

"Cloud?"

His entire body ached, but he somehow managed to open his eyes and eek out a reply. "I'm here," he answered softly.

There was a slight chuckle before the voice spoke once more. "Cloud, what am I going to do with you? You've got to take better care of yourself than this!"

Once Cloud recognized the voice, he groaned wearily and closed his eyes once more. "Not now, Aeris. I don't have time to listen to another one of your lectures."

"That's so mean!" she laughed softly. "Don't forget, Cloud, that I can see past the act you put on for others, and I can read you like an open book. Especially here," she added.

"Then you know that right now I want to be left alone," Cloud spat.

"Uh-uh-uh," Aeris chided. "Now what did I tell you about using that tone of voice?"

Cloud opened his eyes and saw Aeris' figure standing over him with an amused expression on her face. "What's so funny?" he asked warily.

"Oh, nothing. It's just that you're so cute when you're pouting!" she smiled. Gingerly, she reached out and placed her hand on Cloud's wound, eliciting a sharp gasp from him.

"Argh! God dammit! What do you think you're doing?!" Cloud seethed between clenched teeth.

"I'm helping you," she replied simply. With the speed and efficiency of a professional doctor, Aeris gently began treating Cloud's injury. "What?" she joked, "Can't I help out an old friend?"

Unable to hold his head up any longer, Cloud leaned back so that it was resting against the cushion he was laying on. "I...don't remember asking for your help," he said brusquely. "Why can't you people just leave me alone?"

"It's all right for friends to help each other," Aeris told him firmly. "You seem to have forgotten that."

"No, I haven't!" Cloud retorted childishly. "It's just that I don't want or need anyone's help!"

"If Tifa hadn't been there to help you, you probably would've died back there," Aeris pointed out.

Cloud opened his mouth as if he was about to reply, but then he settled for a slight grunt.

Aeris laughed at his predicament. "You wanna know what I think?" she said as she closed her eyes and focused her energy into her palms. A soothing and pale green light radiated from them; furthermore, its influence began to close the wound in Cloud's stomach.

"No, but I have a feeling you're gonna tell me anyway," Cloud replied bitterly. "OUCH!"

"Oops! Sorry!" Aeris smiled innocently. "Anyway, I think that you're running away from something."

"What makes you think that?"

Aeris flashed an irritated glance at Cloud. "I was speaking figuratively. I already know what you're thinking. I'm just trying to get _you_ to realize what you're thinking."

"I know what I'm thinking," Cloud replied obstinately. "I'm thinking that they'll get in my way if I let them hang around too much."

"...and?" Aeris pressed. "Why would they get in your way?"

"Look, they just will!" Cloud insisted.

"Is it because...hmm, I dunno, that you'd have to protect them?"

"Well aren't you the little detective," Cloud grunted. "Yes, that's a reason, so what?"

Aeris rolled Cloud over onto his back so that she could treat the exit wound the sword had made. "Why is protecting your friends such a bad thing?"

"Because if I have to do it all the time then it'd be a problem," Cloud answered. "It's better for them, anyway, because I can't protect them all the time and they might end up getting hurt."

"Uh-oh!" Aeris sang triumphantly. "I think we've just stumbled onto something! I should've been a psychiatrist!"

"What? Injured people are just a liability. It's only a matter of practicality."

"If it was just a matter of 'practicality'," Aeris spoke the word with a hint of disapproval, "as you put it, then why did you intentionally allow yourself to get injured instead of Tifa? Hm? If you needed to be in peak physical condition in order to protect someone, why put your own life on the line?"

"Because I- er...well...um, that is..." Cloud fumbled for words, but they simply did not come.

"In a way, I suppose I'm partially to blame," Aeris admitted sadly. "After all, I did kinda run off without telling anyone."

"What are you getting at?"

"You want me to spell it out for you?" Aeris chuckled. "Fine."

She rolled Cloud back to his original position and cupped his face in her hands. She leaned in so closely that Cloud could feel her breath on his face, and their proximity was such that he was looking directly into her eyes.

"You think that protecting people all the time is a burden, yes. You know that you can't always be there to protect everyone, so rather than risking the lives of your friends, you chose to isolate yourself and fight on your own so that they wouldn't be in danger."

Cloud found that he could no longer look Aeris in the face and his eyes wandered to another part of the room.

"No, no! Cloud look at _me_," she commanded. "There's nothing over there, trust me. Look at my eyes."

Reluctantly, Cloud obeyed.

"I'm saying it's my fault because I'm the one who gave you that deep rooted fear," Aeris concluded. "I know it was hard on everyone- maybe on you more than the others, but it was something I just had to do."

Cloud closed his eyes and jerked his head out of Aeris' grasp. "I failed you, Aeris. I had promised that I wouldn't let anything happen to you, but I failed. After you died, I made a promise to myself: that I would become stronger so that I would be able to protect the people that I loved.

"At first I found it hard to believe that the new enemy you spoke of would be so powerful, but I believed you. I left Tifa in Midgar and came here all by myself so that no one would be able to associate her with me. The same goes for Barret; Vincent; Cid, Yuffie and Red XIII- I left them all behind for their own protection and now for some reason they've all started looking for me!"

"U-uuh," Aeris smiled nervously. "About that...um, y'see I kinda..." she trailed off, fiddling with the hem of her dress.

"Yeah? You what, Aeris?" Cloud demanded.

"The little notes that Tifa and Vincent found...I kinda wrote them." She looked up and grinned sheepishly at him.

Cloud stared at her in disbelief. "You..._kind of _wrote them? After I told you that I wanted to be left alone!? Why the hell would you do something like that!"

"For your own good, Cloud," Aeris responded in kind. "I know you think you can handle this by yourself, but you just can't! You need to trust your friends."

"That's beside the point!" Cloud fumed. "I told you that I didn't want to see anyone and you went behind my back and practically dragged them here!"

"No," Aeris countered, "the point is that you've forgotten how to trust your friends. You believed in them once before so what's the big deal about letting them fight by your side again?"

"You seem to think that people can change overnight, Aeris," Cloud remarked bitterly. He shoved her aside and got to his feet. Without looking back, he began walking toward the edge of the darkness that enveloped them both. "You think I like being alone? Of course not! But I've been alone practically all of my life. Spending a little less than a year with Tifa and the others isn't going to change me. The fact is that I'm just better off by myself, anyway."

"I'll bet Tifa doesn't think that," Aeris called after him. "You know she loves you, and I know you love her back, so why can't you just accept the fact that you're wanted?"

Cloud paused for a brief moment. How could anyone be expected to answer that question? In his heart he knew that Tifa loved him, and it was true that he loved her in return; however, he also realized that he simply couldn't handle the burden of being wanted, because at least in his solitude he didn't have to worry about anyone but himself. In a way perhaps it was selfish of him, but it was the only life he knew how to live.

"I'll live my life the way I see fit," he replied curtly. "If you don't like it, then you can just go to hell. For that matter, anyone else who doesn't like it can go and fuck themselves."

"_Ha. Let her try and see through _that." Cloud thought smugly. Stepping through the edge of the darkness, he felt himself returning to the material realm. Slowly opening his eyes, he looked down and saw that the wound had almost healed completely.

Wincing slightly, Cloud raised himself up and shifted so that his legs were hanging over the side of the bed. Tentatively, he pressed his feet against the ground to see if his legs would be able to support him.

Nodding satisfactorily, Cloud hopped off of the bed and slowly made his way towards the cockpit. He didn't need a second glance to know that he was in the medical ward of the Highwind. Vincent had probably coerced Cid into coming for some reason or another, but whatever it was, it had better be a damned good one.

He turned the valve on the door and entered the cockpit, startling every occupant who was seated therein. It seemed that he had interrupted a conversation they'd been having.

"Cloud!" Tifa gasped. "What are you doing out of bed! You get back there right now and go to sleep!"

"Vincent," Cloud nodded as politely as he could manage. Vincent, in turn, tilted his head in response. "Cid. Good seeing you."

The great captain could tell that there wasn't any emotion behind the salutation, but he forced a smile and replied, "Yeah, same here. Been a while, huh Cloud?"

"Thank you both for saving me. And Tifa, I owe you my life as well," Cloud said respectfully. "However, I'm afraid that I can't stay here for very long. Cid?" he addressed the pilot of the vessel.

"Yo?"

"Where are we right now? What are our coordinates?"

Cid leaned over and pressed a few buttons on the monitor that was positioned next to him. "Bout ten miles outside of Nibelheim."

"Perfect," Cloud said approvingly. "Set her down right here. I'm getting off."

"What?!" both Cid and Tifa yelled at the same time.

"Cloud, you can't go anywhere in that condition!" Tifa protested.

"Much less ten goddamn miles! Think about it, man!" Cid added.

"Put the ship down _now_!" Cloud ordered. He locked eyes with Cid in a silent struggle, but the captain soon threw up his hands and surrendered.

"Tsch, fine! See if I care," he grumbled as he took hold of the controls. Cid glanced over at Vincent, who merely smiled knowingly and ducked his head.

Not two minutes later and the Highwind had landed safely on solid ground. Everyone knew that it would be best for Cloud if he stayed on the ship and rested for a little while, but Cloud would have none of it.

Without so much as a simple good-bye, the silent warrior slowly descended the step ladder and made his way toward Mt. Nibel which loomed ominously just over the horizon.

"Cloud!" Tifa called after him. "Wait up!"

Smiling at her two friends, she swung over the railing and began descending the ladder as well.

"Hey, hey!" Cid shouted at her. "Why the hell do you get to follow him?"

"He made me a promise that he has to keep," Tifa grinned at him. Then, more seriously: "Look, there's a chance that Kether may attack again. If you two aren't too busy, do you think you could kinda stick around? Real hush-hush, y'know?"

"Don't worry," Vincent assured her. "We'll make sure Cloud doesn't see us."

"Who gives a damn!" Cid complained. "That kid should be happy we came all this way to save his spikey-headed ass."

"I'm sure he's grateful," Tifa posed. "In his own way..."

"The hell is that s'posed to mean? All we got was a quick thanks then an adios."

"Look, I'm sure he appreciates it. When I catch up to him, I'll talk to him and see if I can't get him to make a more appropriate response."

"Then you'd best hurry," Vincent said as he pointed at Cloud. "It doesn't look like he's waiting up for you."

"Oh! Right! Well, thanks again, you guys. Don't go too far off," she added as she quickly climbed down. Cid and Vincent watched as she ran to catch up with Cloud. They could tell that she was speaking to him, but it was decidedly one sided.

"So," Cid addressed the only remaining occupant on the ship, "Nibelheim ain't that big. Where are we supposed to hide where Cloud can't find us?"

"If Cloud follows the same pattern as before, he will most likely find a place to reside in the mountain. If that's the case, then we can rent a room and stay within the city's limits without having to worry about him running into us."

"Now I like the sound of that!" Cid replied energetically. "Bout damn time I slept someplace without Shera's god awful snoring. This ship isn't much better, either."

"The only problem is that we will have to park the ship some distance away from the town and walk. We can't risk Cloud noticing the Highwing flying towards the city," Vincent said. "Regrettable," he added when he saw the look on Cid's face, "but it can't be avoided. Our presence there must remain a secret."

Cid narrowed his eyes, but conceded the argument. After all, just about anything was better than having to face that uptight asshole again.

"Still, something about what Tifa told us bothers me," Vincent pondered aloud as he made his way back towards the cockpit.

"Yeah?" Cid replied nonchalantly as he lit up a cigarette. "What is it?"

"It's just that I was trying to think of what Cloud may have done to upset this Kether person. People don't just attack someone without provocation."

Cid snorted loudly before he took another puff of his cigarette. "Since when does a psychopath need a reason to do anything to anyone? The kid's just nuts, that's all there is to it."

Vincent respectfully disagreed with Cid's conclusion. "For some reason, I think he genuinely believes that he is the savior of this planet. Either someone has imposed this mentality on him or Cloud truly did something deplorable."

"Y'really think so, huh?" Cid shook his head slowly. "Well, seein' as how Cloud ain't exactly the same as he used to be, I guess it's not completely out of the question. Still, I'd like to believe that's not the case."

"As do I," Vincent agreed. "The last thing I would want is a confrontation with Cloud. Especially considering how powerful he is now."

"And what's up with that?!" Cid said loudly, almost angrily. "How the hell could someone be so powerful that even Cloud and Tifa _combined _couldn't hurt him?!"

Vincent put a metallic hand to his chin, thoughtfully. "Either he fell into the lifestream, the same as Tifa and Cloud, or it was some other biological process. I'm afraid the only way we'd be able to find that out would be to ask him ourselves."

"Tsch. When hell freezes over, maybe," Cid murmured to himself. "I fight first and ask questions later."

"That may not be a wise decision in this case," Vincent countered. "Tifa said that when he first showed himself to Cloud, it was his intention to merely observe. To me, that says that he is not merely some homicidal youth- that there is a level of control in what he is doing."

"You wanna talk to the bastard, don't you?" Cid interrupted Vincent's monologue with a disgusted look on his face.

Vincent nodded firmly in reply. "Now is not the time for unnecessary confrontations. There is something much bigger going on here right now. If it's at all possible, it would be good- maybe even beneficial- if we could persuade Kether to side with us, rather than fight against us."

"Something big, huh?" Cid posed thoughtfully. "I don't suppose you'd care to...elaborate on that, would you?"

"Not really, no."

Cid flashed a suspicious glance over to his taller friend. "Don't you try anything funny, Vincent. We may be comrades, but I wouldn't hesitate to cut your ass into a thousand tiny pieces if you betrayed us."

Vincent couldn't help but smile, which led Cid to believe that the threat may have gone in one ear and out the other. "Rest assured, my intentions are honorable. There are many...sins that have yet to be absolved from my conscience. I cannot- no, I will not discuss them with anyone at this point. I am simply not ready."

"Go tell it to someone who gives a damn," Cid replied casually. "I don't care what you do, as long as I don't wake up dead." Vincent raised his eyebrows at that statement, but Cid held up a finger to silence him. "You _know_ what I mean. I'd like to trust you, pal, but the way you're talkin' makes it really difficult."

"My apologies," Vincent replied, bowing lowly. In an effort to appease his friend, he said seriously, "Please believe me when I say that I don't mean anyone any harm. I hope that, as a fellow warrior, you can accept that as the truth. I will explain everything when I am ready."

Cid regarded Vincent silently for a few moments, but then he shrugged and grabbed hold of the ship's helm. "No worries," he replied. "We all have our skeletons. I guess some are just more...uh, scary than others."


	11. Chapter 11: Hometown Retreat

"All right!" Tifa exclaimed happily. "If you aren't feeling too poorly- and you aren't, right?- then can we try that thing some more?"

"What thing?" Cloud replied curtly. He'd been hoping that Tifa would get the hint and stay behind, but he should've known better. Still, a promise was a promise, and he intended to see it through. That didn't mean he couldn't give her a hard time, though.

"You know, that thing where I get stronger so I can beat the tar out of you?" Tifa chuckled.

"Right," Cloud mumbled. What was the most inane and idiotic thing that he could give her to do while they were walking? There wasn't much, so he said the first thing that came to mind: "Why don't you cast a fire spell or something?"

"Is that all?" Tifa raised her eyebrows.

"I dunno. Do whatever you want. You asked for something to do, and I gave it to you."

Tifa harrumphed and set to work on her assigned task. After everything she did yesterday, a fire spell would be no problem.

Sure enough, it only took her a few tries before she was finally able to keep sustained flame hovering over the palm of her hand. She looked over to Cloud for his approval, but he wasn't even paying attention to her. So, for lack of anything better to do, she busied herself by tossing it from one hand to the other until even that became mundane. With as much flair as she could manage, Tifa then hurled the fireball into the air where it exploded into a dazzling display of red and orange colors.

"What'dya think, Cloud? Pretty cool, huh?" she asked knowingly.

"Hm?"

Tifa reached over and punched him in the arm furiously. "You jerk! You weren't even watching! If you're gonna go through the trouble of helping me out, the least you could do is pay attention."

"I was watching," Cloud protested as he rubbed the spot where Tifa had accosted him. "It was nice. There, I said it. Now, for your next task...uh-" he looked around briefly. "Why don't you try flying...or something?"

Tifa's mouth gaped open and she stared back at him with wide eyes. "F...F-Flying?! You can't even fly, Cloud!"

"Just cast an aero spell on yourself...yeah, that could work!" he said with an excited look on his face that was most likely forced. "Hey, you never know until you try, right?!"

"I'll cast an aero spell on _you_ if you keep this up!" Tifa fumed. "Why can't you take this seriously? You were doing fine yesterday!"

"If I were to do that we'd have to stop, and I don't want to stop right now. Once we get to Nibelheim I'll give you another lesson."

Tifa, however, was too eager to learn and not willing to wait that long. "You know," she said coyly, "the sooner I learn this stuff, the sooner I leave you alone."

"I thought you didn't want to leave?" Cloud countered with a slight grin.

"_Damn!_" Tifa thought. "Well, I was only thinking of you. I mean, you hate everyone, so I figured you'd be happy if I left."

"I don't hate everyone!" Cloud protested. He glanced at her briefly before returning his gaze to the horizon. "I just hate it when people are always heckling me."

"Well, yooouu could always try loosening up a little," Tifa proposed rapidly.

"Not again," Cloud groaned.

"Again?"

In reply, Cloud merely held up a finger to his lips and said, "Shh. No more talking. That's your next lesson: be quiet for at least five minutes."

Tifa frowned. Staring at his back, she had to suppress the intense urge to slap him up the backside of his head. Then, she brightened as an even better idea popped into her mind.

Once again she formed a tiny ball of flames in her hand, but instead of launching it into the air, she quickly stepped up behind Cloud and pressed it against his rear.

"YEOUCH!" Cloud yelped as he leaped into the air, frantically pawing at his butt in an effort to extinguish the flames.

"You can't catch me!" Tifa taunted as she pointed a finger at him and laughed. Without waiting for a reply, she took off running towards the town, which looked to be a mere two or three miles away.

"Tifa!" Cloud said dangerously.

He darted after her, but Tifa noted that he wasn't using any lifestream energy to increase his speed; otherwise, he probably would've caught up to her in an instant. "_Ha_!" Tifa thought triumphantly. "_Looks like you're warming up to me already_! _Don't think I can't see through that façade you've got up_."

He certainly didn't make it easy for her. Whenever she slowed down, Cloud formed a fireball that was about three times the size of her own and made ready to heave it into her own backside. Basically, it forced her to keep running at the pace he'd set.

Fortunately for Tifa, sprinting was still something she was relatively good at, so she was able to keep running until they entered the sleepy town of Nibelheim, at which point Cloud ceased his pursuit.

It was odd. Tifa had grown up in this town, only to leave it behind after Sephiroth had burned it to the ground. At that time, she thought she'd never return, but by circumstance nearly five years later she did, and what she saw didn't make her happy- neither her, nor Cloud. That was the first time when she began to doubt whether or not everything that'd happened between her and Cloud in the past had been merely a hallucination. Of course, Sephiroth played a major part in that turn of events, but even though everything had long since been resolved it still left an uneasy feeling in her heart. As far as she was concerned, the real Nibelheim still lay in ashes underneath the ground.

"All right," Cloud stated coolly, "the first order of events is to find supplies. That can be your job."

"What? Why me?" Tifa complained. "What are you going to do?"

"I have to...go someplace. Look, I'll find you if I need you, okay?" Cloud offered. "There's the store- go get the stuff and meet me on the mountain trail in about three hours."

He didn't even give her a chance to reply before Cloud simply turned and started walking away.

Tifa stared harshly at his back as she watched him go, but she knew that it wouldn't do any good to argue with him.

Walking into the store Cloud had pointed out to her, Tifa nodded politely at the man standing behind the counter.

"Ma'am," he nodded in response. "Haven't seen you around before. You new here?"

"Actually, I was born here," Tifa replied as she browsed the shelves. The store was so small that it allowed her to converse and shop at the same time.

"Really?" he said good-naturedly. "What made you leave?"

Tifa glanced over with a fiendish look on her face. "It burned to the ground," she said simply. The surprised look on the man's face was expected, but she continued quickly before he had a chance to reply. "And don't tell me it didn't happen, because it did."

"Huh?" he replied helplessly. "Look, lady, I just came here recently, myself, and this town wasn't burned or anything."

"It's because it was rebuilt."

"Well, obviously it was rebuilt!" the man said incredulously. "All I know is that this place was deserted before we got here."

Tifa paused from her shopping and glanced over at the man seriously. "What do you mean? There weren't any people here?" she asked skeptically.

"Yeah," the man nodded. "It was really creepy. The town was in perfect condition, and we couldn't imagine why anyone would want to leave. The funny thing is that they left everything behind. And when I say that, I mean _everything_. Beds, chairs, blankets...even toothpaste in the cabinets! It's just not natural! It's like they up and disappeared!"

Tifa nodded in understanding. Of course, it was inevitable that once Shinra stopped paying the people to live here and pretend to be citizens they would return to their own hometowns.

"But hey," the man continued, "Who am I to complain? Got a nice house, decent income; what more could I ask for?"

"Hm," Tifa replied absent-mindedly. After grabbing a few miscellaneous supplies, she brought them up to the counter to purchase them. "You haven't seen any...uh, suspicious people about, have you?"

"Like who?"

"Well, he's kinda tall...cropped, messy brown hair with brown eyes...um, wears a really long cape or overcoat thing?" Tifa described from memory. It had been dark when Kether had revealed himself, but she believed she had just portrayed him accurately.

The man shook his head. "No, no one like that around here. You're the first new person I've seen in this town for a while."

"What about the mansion?" she asked further, but in a quiet voice as if someone were listening. "Is it still there?"

"Shinra mansion? Yeah, it's still there," he replied. "That was the only thing that wasn't in perfect condition.

"For a while, no one seemed to really care about it. Someone proposed that we try and repair it, but it would've ended up costing too much, so we abandoned that project."

He seemed ready to conclude the story there, but Tifa said, "Go on." She still wanted to know more about the place that had nearly destroyed Cloud's life. For his part, Cloud never mentioned anything about it to her, even at her request. Instead, she'd asked Vincent if he knew what had gone on in that evil place, and the stories he'd told her nearly made her sick to her stomach.

"Well, it was a hangout for teenagers and kids, I guess," he continued. "Then the fad changed into going up onto the mountain, so even they stopped goin' inside. A few kids still used to play hide and seek there about a year ago, but..."

"What happened?" Tifa pressed.

"They disappeared one day and never came back. The whole town scoured the mansion, but no one ever found them. We've pretty much given them up for dead," he added sadly. "That's why no one ever goes there anymore. Superstitious folk say it's haunted and most levelheaded people agree that it's just not safe to go in, so it's as abandoned as ever."

"I see," Tifa said quietly. "Thanks for your time," she said as she handed the man some gil to pay for her items.

"No problem. Hope to see you around sometime," he waved as Tifa exited the store.

She'd only been in there a mere twenty minutes. That meant she still had two hours and forty minutes to kill before she could meet Cloud.

Dammit, what was she gonna do for that amount of time?

Glancing around the town, her eyes were inevitably drawn to the large mansion that sat on the hilltop some distance away. Just as the man said, it looked as old and decrepit as ever. Briefly, she wondered if she could petition that the town tear the damnable thing down, but that would be too unreasonable. Besides, it looked like it was going to fall apart on its own accord soon, anyway.

Still, she could not ignore the sensation that she was being drawn towards it for some reason. Her body told her that if there truly was something dangerous inside she had an obligation to investigate since she was much stronger than anyone who lived in the town. Surely she would be able to handle whatever was thrown at her because of it; however, her mind screamed that it was in her best interest to just walk away. The cold stench of death still hung heavily in the air around that mansion, proving that it hadn't changed at all these past two years.

Torn between these two emotions, a decision was quickly reached when she heard a cry for help that seemed emanate from inside the building. Dropping her things next to the gate, Tifa tore up the hill and reached the sprawling doors not half a minute later.

Testing the door handle, she was surprised to see that it still functioned properly, but upon opening the doors she was greeted with such a stagnant odor of mildew that she had to cover her mouth and nose with her hands.

"Hello?" she called out experimentally. There was no response.

Nevertheless, she pressed onwards into the dimly lit foyer, completely unaware that the doors had closed and locked themselves silently behind her.

FFVII

Cloud tapped his foot impatiently as he waited at the bottom of the mountain trail for Tifa to arrive. He had told her four hours, hadn't he? Or...was it three?

Sighing dejectedly, Cloud busied himself by kicking around small stones that littered the trail. It probably would be best if he just waited here for her to come; otherwise, he would leave to go and look for her and she would pick that same time to come to him, and then they'd be walking in circles around one another for the rest of the day.

Glancing over at the large parcel he had balanced against a large boulder, Cloud briefly wondered whether or not it would be of any use to him anymore.

Out of mere curiosity, he walked over and removed the outer wrapping from the object. Without even the slightest grunt or effort, he lifted the tremendous Buster Sword from the ground and swung it experimentally through the air.

Even though the blade had not originally belonged to him, it had seen more action in Cloud's hands than it could probably ever hope to experience from its previous owner.

"_Oh yeah,_" Cloud thought proudly. "_I've still got the hang of it_."

"Whoa, awesome!" came an excited voice from a little distance away.

Cloud glanced over and saw that it came from a disheveled teenage boy who had been walking nearby with, presumably, his girlfriend.

"Uh, thanks?" Cloud replied as he scratched the back of his head nervously. He'd used it so often around his ex-comrades that they'd grown accustomed to it and had never commented on it once. The fact that the exclamation now came from a teenager did little to detract from the overall jubilation he felt. After all, praise, in all its forms, was always welcome.

"Is it fake?" the boy continued as he ran up to Cloud, the girl trailing at his heels.

"No, it's not fake!" Cloud quipped. Just to show off, he spun the blade several times in the air before he planted it firmly into the ground near the lad's feet.

"How much does it weigh?"

"I dunno," Cloud shrugged. "I never bothered to weigh it."

"Can I hold it?!"

"Rich!" the girl whispered fiercely into his ear. "Don't try to pick up that thing!"

"I think your girlfriend's right, kid," Cloud shrugged. "This is a real weapon, after all, not some toy."

The boy returned Cloud's gaze with wide eyes. "Hey, man, that's my sister, all right! Dammit, why does everyone think she's my girlfriend?!"

"Maybe cause you don't have one," the girl chuckled quietly to herself.

"S-Shut up! Anyway, can't I at least hold it?" Rich pleaded.

Somehow the idea of his sword being in someone else's hands irritated Cloud. Maybe it was just a personal thing? Still, it would be fun to see if the kid would even be able to lift it, so Cloud replied, "Sure thing. Knock yourself out."

With that, he leaned back on the rock face and watched with a slight grin on his face.

"Don't hurt yourself, all right?" Rich's sister said sarcastically.

The boy didn't even answer. Taking a few quick breaths, he sized up the sword before he clasped his hands around the handle. His initial pull failed to budge it in the slightest, but on his second try he managed to dislodge it completely. Now that it was balanced against the ground instead of settled in it, Rich tried his best to lift the humongous blade, but he was only able to do so after much difficulty.

He let the blade drop to the ground with a loud clatter as he wheezed, "Damn, how can you even lift that thing?"

Trying to suppress his urge to laugh, Cloud leaned over and retrieved his sword from the ground. He deftly brought it to rest against his shoulder before he bothered replying.

"Let's just say I'm a little stronger than most."

"That's so cool!" the girl smiled widely. "You must work out a lot! Do you fight with that sword, too?"

"I-" Cloud stopped mid-sentence. Then, more softly, "I used to. Not anymore, or at least not until recently."

"Wow! A real life warrior! I'll bet you were in SOLDIER when they were still around, weren't you mister?"

"Call me Cloud," came his curt reply. The girl's last remark left him somewhat unsettled, for though he'd come to accept it, he still felt self-conscious about never realizing his dream of entering SOLDIER. "No, I never was," he said finally.

"Oh well, Cloud," the girl said his name with a slight giggle. "Hey, you're prolly stronger than any of them were, anyway, right?"

Cloud shrugged.

"Listen," she continued without missing a beat, "would you like to...y'know, come over to our house for dinner? My mom is making stir-fry! It's really good, trust me!"

Cloud let out a low chuckle and shook his head. This was probably the first time that a little girl had a crush on him, and he'd only been in town for half a day. What next- an invitation to a movie? That just wouldn't do, especially considering her age...now, how could he wheedle his way out of this one?

"I'm sure your mother makes wonderful stir-fry...um, I'm sorry, what's your name?"

"Oh, no, I'm the one who's sorry! I should've introduced myself earlier. My name is Aeris."

Cloud's heart skipped a beat and he took a step backwards. His sword fell from his hand to land unceremoniously on the ground. "W...What did you j-just say?" Cloud asked slowly.

"Aeris. Nice to meet ya, Cloud!" she extended her hand warmly.

Cloud shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts. "I-I'm sorry...you did say your name was Aeris?"

"Um...yes?" she replied with a puzzled look on her face. "Rich, did I say something wrong?"

"Hell if I know," the boy shrugged.

"Wait! Please, uh...Aeris...what...? I-I mean...would you mind telling me your mother's name?"

Rich and Aeris exchanged quick glanced before she replied. "Ellie. Ellie Gainsborough. Actually, she's not my real mom," she added as she looked down at the ground and shuffled her feet. "She adopted me about two years ago, along with Rich. Our real mom left us at the orphanage for some reason."

Cloud nodded slowly. "Now I understand," he said under his breath.

"Huh?" both Rich and Aeris said at the same time.

"Oh, nothing!" Cloud smiled. "Aeris, you know what? I think I will have dinner with you tonight."

"Really?!"

"Yup!" Cloud grinned. "Just lemme...grab my sword," he said as he glanced mischievously at Rich. He smoothly picked it up off of the ground and shouldered it once more.

"Damn," Rich shook his head. "Don't know how you got that strong, but it takes all kinds, I s'pose."

Cloud couldn't help but laugh at Rich's response. "You'll get stronger when you get older, trust me."

"You really think so, huh?"

"Sure!" Cloud said emphatically.

Meanwhile, Aeris had stealthily managed to meander over to Cloud's side as they walked back towards the town. It didn't take long before the trio was once again within the city's boundary, and the two children quickly made a beeline towards their home.

Cloud recognized it immediately, though he could not recall who had lived there before. Surrounded by a small picket fence, the two-story house had changed from its original green color to a more soothing blue. Glancing behind the residence, Cloud could see a rather large garden that sported a wide variety of colorful flowers and shrubs. Whoever lived here definitely like flowers- that much was for certain.

"Come on in!" Aeris said happily. "I'll just go tell mom you're here."

"Wait for me!" Rich called after her as they both disappeared into the house.

Figuring that no one would bother it, Cloud discreetly placed his sword in the grass before he entered the home. What he saw inside was like something from a movie: the house was filled with ornate vases overflowing with flowers that had been picked from the back yard. Pictures and decorations of every sort lined the walls- probably of her children and their friends, but there were a few that Cloud did not recognize.

"Mom! Mom!" he heard Aeris calling. "We have company!"

Glancing into the kitchen, he saw Aeris was now conversing with Ellie. Cloud was happy to note that she seemed to have aged well- smiling as he watched her interact with her daughter.

"Well, we don't get company every day!" Ellie replied merrily. "Supper's almost ready, so go and wash up!"

"Yes, ma'am! Hey, Cloud, go and meet my mother!" Aeris said as she swiftly passed Cloud and headed towards the bathroom.

Obeying, he silently entered the kitchen and waited for Ellie to turn around.

For a long time she just stood there without saying anything, and Cloud began to wonder if something was wrong. Then: "Cloud." she repeated softly.

She turned around slowly, and when she saw that it was indeed him, the agonized look on her face became all the more visible.

Cloud swallowed hard. He had hoped that this would've been a more happy reunion, but he could hardly fault her for this reaction. It was only natural that she would be upset, after all, considering what'd happened the last time he'd entered her home.

She slammed her spatula onto the counter and stormed over to where he was standing. Now he could see tears brimming in her eyes as she raised her hand into the air, which could only mean one thing...

Cloud braced himself for the assault but kept his arms at his side. After all, he'd had this coming for two years, and he wasn't going to stop her from extracting some sort of emotional compensation for what he'd done to her.

Slowly, agonizingly, Ellie clenched her fist and lowered it, all the while struggling to keep herself from breaking into sobs.

"Why'd you stop?" Cloud asked with a puzzled look. "I guess you must really hate me- and I can't blame you for that- so why not vent your anger on me?"

Ellie pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. Grabbing a tissue from a nearby desk she wiped her eyes and blew her nose gently before she answered. "She asked me not to," was all she said.

"...Aeris did?"

Ellie nodded firmly. With a heavy sigh, she picked up her spatula and resumed cooking her family's dinner. She probably wasn't going to say anything else unless he spoke first.

"Then...you already know?" It was more a statement than a question.

"Yes," Ellie replied swiftly. "That morning two years ago I woke up and found she'd gone after you. I knew then that it was only a matter of time before she would be...well, let's just say that I knew as long as she was with you there'd be trouble, so I eventually resigned myself to it."

Rubbing her temples wearily, she sat down on a nearby chair and stared at the floor. "I didn't know for sure until about a year ago. That was when I had a dream."

"Of Aeris?" Cloud asked.

"Yes. She told me..." Ellie faltered in her speech. For a moment it seemed as though she'd be unable to finish her sentence. Then, after clearing her throat, she held her head up valiantly and continued speaking. "She told me that she had passed on, but that I shouldn't be sad." Here she let out a small chuckle that lasted only for a few seconds. "Just like she said when my husband died in the war. 'Don't be sad' was what she told me."

Cloud didn't know what to say. It had all been his fault, and yet there wasn't anything he could do to go back and change what had happened. "I'm...I'm sorry," was all he could manage.

"Don't be sorry," Ellie said with a wave of her hand. "Aeris also told me that you had tried valiantly to save her. She said that you were so sad when she died that it nearly broke her heart."

Cloud lowered his head and nodded slowly. "Still, it probably would never of happened if I hadn't shown up."

Ellie shook her head and managed a weak smile. "You knew that the Turks had been after her since childhood. I suppose it was only a matter of time before they caught her."

"Hey, Mom, is dinner ready yet?" Rich interrupted their conversation as he entered the kitchen.

"No, not yet, honey," she said firmly. "Why don't you and Aeris go out and play for a bit longer? I'll call you when it's ready."

"Uh, okay. Hey, Aeris, come on!"

Cloud watched the two children escape outside once more, but his attention quickly returned to Ellie.

"I suppose," she began with a wry smile, "that the reason you came here was because you found out that girl's name was Aeris? Am I right?"

"Yes," Cloud admitted reluctantly. "At first I couldn't believe it, but then I figured you must've had something to do with it."

Ellie smiled. "I suppose it's selfish of me to try and replace Aeris with that girl, but I've come to love her just as much, so I don't think it's too terrible of me."

"She's certainly rambunctious enough," Cloud said in a half-hearted attempt at humor.

"That is true," Ellie laughed. She looked as though she was about to say something more, but then she closed her mouth and returned to her food preparation.

"What?" Cloud insisted. "Were you going to say something?"

"N-no!" she replied swiftly.

"Come on! If it's important, you should say it."

"Well," Ellie relented. "It was actually a question, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Go ahead," Cloud agreed. "I think I could at least answer a question for you."

"Before Aeris left my dream, she said something rather odd. She said that you had lost something, and that she was praying for the day you would finally regain it. What did she mean by that?"

Cloud furrowed his eyebrows and thought for a moment. Of course, it could only be one thing, but how could he go about explaining it to Ellie?

"It was...because the Cloud she knew then wasn't the real Cloud. Somehow, she was able to see through the reality I'd created for myself, if only slightly, and she tried her hardest to get me to realize that it was all merely an illusion."

"And?"

Cloud smiled slightly. "I did eventually break free. The person she knew existed all along is standing here right now."

"That's good to hear," Ellie said with a relieved sigh. "She did seem to favor you somewhat."

Cloud shook his head. "There was a former member of SOLDIER named Zack that she had dated about two years before I'd met her. I think she must've seen a little of him in me."

"_Of course,_" he added mentally, "_the fact that I was wearing his clothes and carrying his sword had nothing to do with it..._" It was probably more out of mere curiosity that caused her to become somewhat interested in him in the beginning. After that, maybe she genuinely grew interested in the person behind the image?

"Anyway," Cloud continued verbally, "we had a deep friendship, but I don't think it was anything more than that."

"I see," Ellie replied thoughtfully. "Was there...someone else?"

"There was," Cloud answered with a stern countenance. "At that time I didn't realize it, though."

"Was? What do you mean? Did something happen to her?" Ellie asked with a worried look on her face.

Cloud furrowed his eyebrows and said lowly, "A lot has happened since then. Any feelings I had for her have long since disappeared."

"Liar!"

Cloud jumped slightly. "W-What?" he asked cautiously.

"Huh?"

"You just called me a liar!" Cloud remakred vehemently.

Ellie shook her head. "No I didn't! You must've heard one of the neighbor's children or something."

"Oh..." Cloud said suspiciously as he glanced around the room to make sure no one was hiding nearby. Was he starting to hear things? As he glanced around, he noticed a clock on the wall that said it was nearly seven-thirty.

"Well, it's late, so I suppose I should be going," he said lightly.

"So soon? Won't you stick around for dinner? It's almost ready."

Cloud politely declined. "I came to town with someone and we need to find each other before it gets dark," he explained.

"Oh..." Ellie said with a disappointed look.

"Tell Aeris and Rich that I'll come back and visit them sometime...if it's not too much trouble?"

"Of course not! You're welcome here anytime. I apologize for my behavior earlier."

"Not a problem," Cloud assured her. "But I could use your help. Are there any bars here? My friend is somewhat of a bar hopper."

"No," Ellie replied. "This town's awfully small, though, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding your friend."

"I see. Well, thank you for your time," Cloud waved as he made his way towards the door.

"Wait!" Ellie called after him. "Your friend- they've been to this town before, right?"

"Yeah," Cloud answered her. "Why?"

"Oh, good!" she exclaimed as she rested a hand over her heart. "Then they know not to go in the mansion."

Cloud narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"It's just that that place has become pretty dangerous. A few kids disappeared a while back when they were playing inside, and no one ever found them."

"Great," Cloud mumbled to himself. Knowing Tifa, that's probably _exactly _where she went to. No reason to make Ellie worry, though. "Yeah, she knows better," he lied. "Well, thank you again. I hope I'll see you again soon."

Without waiting for her reply, Cloud quickly exited the home and then all but sprinted towards the mansion.

"Dammit, Tifa!" he said through clenched teeth. "I swear: if you've gotten yourself into another mess I have to save you from I'm gonna make your life so miserable!"


	12. Chapter 12: Divination

Shinra Mansion was just as he remembered it to be: murky, dingy, and generally unpleasant to be in. Memories from long ago flooded into his mind, but Cloud had no time for them at the moment. Finding Tifa was his first and only priority.

The stillness that echoed around Cloud was oddly having an adverse affect on him: he crept quietly and visibly winced whenever a floorboard moaned under the weight of his steps. It was almost as if the silence was sacred- something that must be preserved at all costs.

"Tifa?" he called out in a hushed tone. "Where are you?" Then, he let out a frustrated sigh. Tifa wouldn't be able to hear him calling her that way unless she was a mere ten feet away from him. It would probably just be better if he looked around until he found her, rather than call to her.

Preparing himself for any sort of uninvited circumstance, Cloud held his sword at the ready as he gradually searched the lower levels. As soon as he entered the large pantry something caught his eye: several shelves and tables had been overturned. There were also streaking footprints in the dust that covered the floor. There had been a struggle here not too long ago...

Cloud scrutinized the area a bit more before he slowly began to back out of the room. He jumped slightly, however, when his body slammed into something hard.

Spinning around quickly with sword raised high he made ready to cleave in two whatever the thing was. He let out a heavy breath when he realized it was merely the door.

"Odd," Cloud mumbled to himself. "I don't remember closing that door..."

He had to fumble with the knob for a few moments, but it eventually opened, allowing him back into the main hall.

The only place left to check now was upstairs. Briefly testing each stair to make sure it wouldn't break under his weight, Cloud slowly ascended step by step until he came to the small junction. Since the music room was smaller he decided to search there first.

His eyes were immediately drawn to the immaculate grand piano that was set squarely in the center of the room. Unfortunately, its grandeur had been reduced to a ghostly manifestation as it was covered under a thick layer of dust.

Scanning the room for any possible threat, Cloud made his way inside and walked over to the keys of the piano. Tapping experimentally on a few, he was surprised to note that it was still in tune- even after being under these conditions for so long.

Satisfied that this room was empty, Cloud made his way towards the door, but an odd sound froze him in his tracks. One of the floorboards he had just stepped on had an unnaturally hollow resonance. Quickly balancing his sword in an empty corner, Cloud experimentally walked around the floor until he found the correct portion.

Getting onto his hands and knees, he rapped on the board in question twice with his fist. No doubt about it now- there was definitely something underneath here.

It was difficult to pry the board up with just his bare hands, but Cloud kept at it until, finally, it relented and eased out of its place among the other panels.

"Oh my god!" Cloud yelped as he dropped the board and scooted backwards across the floor until his back was pressed firmly against the far wall. "Dear god!"

He whimpered numbly and shook his head in a vain attempt to clear his mind of the awful image. Against his will Cloud's eyes were glued to that spot on the floor- as though what he saw would rise up from beneath the floorboard if he looked away- but at least from this angle he couldn't see inside.

For a long time he could only sit there and wait until the feeling returned to his limbs. The shock had been so great that he was now shivering as a result of the mental blow, but it soon passed.

Swallowing hard, Cloud slowly crept back to the hole in the floor and peered inside for a more astute observation.

Staring back up at him were the features of a small child with eyes rolled back and a face that seemed frozen in the midst of a blood-curdling scream. Blood had flowed from many gashes and abrasions that had long since run dry, but perhaps the most frightening thing about it all...was that he still looked alive.

"Who...did this?" Cloud whispered with a distressed look on his face. No doubt this was one of the children Ellie had told him about. The others had probably suffered the same fate, as well, which only turned Cloud's stomach even more. Whoever did this would have to answer to his sword!

Then, Cloud let out a small gasp. "Tifa!" he exclaimed shortly. What if...the same thing happened to her?!

Grabbing his weapon, Cloud tore from the room and entered the final wing of the house.

"Tifa?" he called as he rounded the corner and entered the first room. "Tifa, are you here? Say something, dammit!" he shouted as he ran wildly through the remaining rooms in a frenzied effort to find her.

Then, Cloud remembered the secret passage that ran underneath the mansion. Entering the master bedroom, he ran over to the fireplace and searched for the block that would release the hold on the door.

Unable to find it as fast as he would have liked, Cloud stepped back and blasted the fireplace with an aero spell. The wall collapsed with a rumble that seemed to shake the mansion to its very foundation. Glancing down to see an all too familiar purple glow waiting at the bottom, Cloud saw that his actions had obliterated the circular staircase that would've led him there.

Throwing caution to the wind, he stepped into the open air and plunged two stories to the bottom floor, where he landed with such force that the dust bounced from their recesses in the walls around him.

After regaining his balance, Cloud looked up and saw Tifa's familiar figure lying on the ground some distance up the passage. She was extremely pale, but other than that she seemed all right. However, he also saw something else that chilled him to his very core: hovering over her was a dark form that was prodding her face with stubby fingers.

"Get your filthy hands off her!" Cloud spat as he held up his blade and charged the figure.

The person jerked his head around, causing Cloud to skid to a halt and take half a step backwards.

If it were possible for the human face to melt if held to an extraordinary source of heat, then surely that's what had happened to this person. The man's face was so horribly disfigured that Cloud wondered if he had ever been human at all. Loose pieces of flesh hung from his face and one eye dangle carelessly from its socket.

"Oh? More company?" the figure hissed. "I like company." With a leer, he returned his gaze to Tifa and stroked her hair tenderly.

"I said don't touch her!" Cloud bellowed. "What the hell are you, anyway?" He was trying his hardest not to let his fear show. Something about this thing seemed awfully familiar, and it was making him lose his focus.

"Don't care," the figure replied obstinately. "I've been here...for long time. Hrm...hm, but only just woke up."

"Did you kill those children?" Cloud demanded abruptly. He made ready to charge the monster depending on his reply.

"Maybe," was all he decided to say.

"That doesn't answer my question!" Cloud hissed.

"Well, what if I...hrm, did?" the creature chuckled. "I've killed several times before."

Cloud furrowed his eyebrows but managed to hold back his rage long enough to ask: "What do you mean?"

The man held up his hand and began counting on his deformed fingers: "I've killed...hm-hm civilians from Midgar; Heidegger and Scarlet from S-Shinra, heh...the Calamity from the Skies...oh, yes! And I even killed _him_."

"Him?"

"Y-yes!" the man gave a toothless grin. "The commander of SOLDIER!"

"That's a lie!" Cloud shouted furiously. "I was the one who killed Sephiroth! Me! I killed Him!"

"But I couldn't kill Tifa," the man continued as he returned his gaze to the woman's lifeless from on the ground. "I've known her...eh, ever since I was a little boy. I love her so much."

Cloud didn't even give the monster a chance to defend himself. As that hideous face was turned, Cloud raced forward and stabbed his sword viciously into the creature's back.

Tifa immediately inhaled sharply and began coughing and sputtering uncontrollably. Her eyes slowly opened, but her vision was so blurry that she had to shut them again.

"C-Cloud?" she called out weakly. "Are you there?"

Upon hearing a muffled thump, Tifa opened her eyes and attempted to blink away the double vision. When she finally was able to focus, she saw Cloud lying on his face in the dirt. She could tell that he was the only one in the room, but there was something odd...then, her mind regained control of itself and she let out a startled cry.

Cloud's own Buster Sword had impaled him.

FFVII

"Are you sure about this?" Cid asked hesitantly.

"What do you mean?" Vincent countered innocently.

"I mean Tifa asked us to stay nearby, that's what I mean! What the hell are we doing at an old mako reactor at the top of Mt. Nibel?!"

"That's close by."

"My ass it is!" Cid all but shouted. "What's up here, anyway?"

Vincent closed his eyes and appeared to be concentrating on something. "He's very close by, I can tell."

"Who? Kether?!"

Vincent nodded.

"Whoa, man! If I'd known you were tracking down that creep I wouldn't have come!"

"Why is that?" Vincent asked casually.

"Gee, I dunno- maybe cause I don't have a fuckin' death wish!" Cid spat as he pulled out yet another cigarette and lit it.

"What better way to convince him that we're sincere in our desire to talk than if we both come along?" he posed.

Cid flashed Vincent an irate look. "You were the only one who wanted to talk to him."

"Then humor me," Vincent smiled. "There's no need to fear. He has sensed us as well, and I believe he's waiting for us."

"What are you, some sort of goddamn clairvoyant?" Cid replied sarcastically.

It wasn't much of a question, so Vincent decided not to answer.

"If it bothers you so much, then just let me do the talking."

"It bothers me a whole helluva lot, thank you!" Cid retorted. "Holy shit! There's the fucker now!" he yelped suddenly as he ran for cover behind a large boulder.

Vincent glanced up and saw that the one called Kether was standing at the apex of the large staircase looking down. His arm was bandaged neatly, but his face showed no outward signs of being in extreme pain.

"Kether," Vincent nodded as politely as one could to someone whom he'd just shot recently.

"You must be Vincent," came the mellow response. "I've heard so many things about you."

The calm way in which Kether spoke put Vincent on edge. His earlier assessment of the boy had been correct- he truly seemed to be in complete control of the situation. This did not bode well, though, for it meant that if he could not appeal to Kether's sense of logic then their encounter could very well prove to be a fatal one.

"Good things, I hope," Vincent finally spoke up.

"Some good. Others not so good," Kether answered lightly. "What brings you here, a former Turk?"

"I have come merely to talk," Vincent replied as he spread his arms in a gesture of good will.

"Don't you think that after shooting me such times would be past us? Don't look at me like that, I knew the moment it happened that it was you. When you were still working for Shinra, your sniping skills were world-renowned. It stands to reason, then, that after Hojo violated your humanity your skills would only increase exponentially."

"Just how much do you know about me?" Vincent asked darkly. The situation was getting out of hand very rapidly, and he didn't like it at all.

"I know everything about you, Vincent," Kether smiled. "Your past and the mysteries therein have been laid bare before my eyes. I know your sins, and I know of your incessant need to punish yourself over them. I even know that thing you have never mentioned to any one of your friends."

"Kether!" Vincent bellowed in what was a most uncharacteristic response. His eyes flared dangerously as an ethereal red glow radiated from his body.

For his part, Kether merely laughed at the former Turk's predicament. "Do not worry, dear Vincent," he said at last, "your secret is safe with me. You had said you wanted to talk? Come, then, and let us talk. Cid can stand watch outside," he added as he glanced over to the boulder the pilot was hiding behind.

"That sounds just dandy!" came his delayed response.

Once they were inside, Kether seated himself in an empty chair and motioned for Vincent to do likewise.

"So, what was it you wished to talk to me about?" he asked.

Though his nerves were still swarming, Vincent managed to keep his voice calm. "Tifa told us why you attacked her and Cloud. Although I can't understand your reasons for doing so, I realize that you truly believe Cloud harbors ill will towards this planet."

"Since when have the actions of others affected your judgment?" Kether remarked serenely. "As one of Cloud's friends how could you ever doubt him?"

"Do not twist my words, Kether," Vincent ordered. "I never said that I doubted him- merely that I've come to know the reasons for why you attacked him."

"Not just him," Kether added with a glimmer in his eyes. "I will destroy him and everyone associated with him in order to purge this planet. That includes you, by the way."

Vincent narrowed his eyes. "It was just for that reason that I've come to talk to you. Kether, no matter what you may believe, I know that you are a reasonable man. I know that you are perfectly capable of making decisions for yourself, and it is for that reason that I have come to ask a favor."

"Oh?" Kether raised his eyebrows slightly. "And what might that be?"

"I believe that the information you received came from a rather biased source. Therefore, I merely ask that you listen to my- no, to Cloud's side of the story. After that, you can make any decision that you like."

"And why should I do that? If I am so capable, do you not think that I can see the danger Cloud poses not only to humanity, but also to the planet, as well?"

"There is no doubt in my mind that he possesses that capacity, but again I believe you are missing the larger picture."

Kether closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "Geo-stigma?" he said the word softly.

"Surely you don't believe Cloud, alone, is responsible for the dark undercurrents that have been seeping from the planet? Geo-stigma? And what of his equally emphatic opinion that _you_ are the bane of the planet?"

"Only one of us can be right," Kether stated firmly.

"Yes," Vincent raised a metallic finger, "but there is one possibility that you are forgetting about."

"And what would that be?"

"You say that only you or Cloud can be correct in your beliefs- that one of you is the harbinger of doom for all living things- but...what if you are _both_ wrong? What if neither of you are the true danger we all fear?"

Kether's face grew rigid and his eyes severe. After pondering this for some time, he nodded curtly and closed his eyes once more. "Very well, Vincent. I will hear your side of the story. After that, if I am not satisfied, then I will kill you."

"That is all I ask," Vincent returned a slight smile.

He was about to begin speaking, but Kether's eyes seemed to focus somewhere behind Vincent instead of on him.

"What is the matter?"

Kether straightened in his chair slightly, but then bolted upright and quickly headed for the door.

"What's wrong?" Vincent repeated more firmly.

"Something's happened to Cloud," Kether replied simply. "He spirit has departed from his body, and I fear he may be dead."

Vincent's eyes grew wide. "What?! How could that happen?"

"There's no time," Kether said as he flung open the doors and stepped outside. "Do you want to come with me?"

"What's goin' on?" Cid asked as he cautiously got to his feet and wandered over to where Kether and Vincent were standing.

"Yes," Vincent replied, ignoring Cid's question.

Kether nodded and closed his eyes. He silently mouthed the words to a spell Vincent had never seen before.

"Hey!" Cid shouted. "I asked what's going- oh my GOD!" he shouted as the trio vanished into thin air.

FFVII

Tifa could no longer hold back the tears. Cradling the ex-SOLDIER's head in her lap, it was painfully obvious that he was beyond any help- medical or otherwise. Cloud's eyes retained only the slightest glimmer of their former vibrant blue, and even as she watched they began to grow dull and lifeless.

There was very little she could do. Once she removed the sword from his body she was able to see to what extent he'd been wounded: basically, if she wanted to she could pass her fist entirely through his body. Even if she had a cure materia, no amount of energy she could summon would be able to close such a wound.

Seeing as they were stuck in what appeared to be the basement of Shinra mansion there was no one close enough to hear her cries for help, either.

Smiling wretchedly, she looked down and stroked Cloud's hair affectionately.

"C-Cloud," she choked quietly. "I'm so sorry...it's all my fault. If I hadn't come here none of this would've happened." Cloud inhaled sharply, eliciting a startled gasp from Tifa. "You're alive!" she shouted. "Cloud, hang on! I'll go get help!"

"No," Cloud managed slowly. His eyes wandered aimlessly, as if they were out of focus. "Don't...feel bad," he whispered so softly that Tifa had to strain in order to hear him. "I'm glad...I was able to save you. I kept my promise."

"Cloud!" Tifa screamed. "You were always pushing me away! Why did you come here?!"

"...Are you mad at me?" Cloud managed a weak smile.

Tifa closed her eyes tightly and clenched her jaw. "Just...why now?! If I make you so angry then why did you come after me?"

"Tifa," Cloud chuckled. "You don't annoy me." He suddenly frowned and his face grew haggard. "Whoa...I can feel it...god, this hurts like hell!" he grunted.

"Is there something I can do?" Tifa sobbed. "I wish there was something I could do for you..."

"You can...tell the others to be strong. I tried to save them, but I won't be around long enough...if I see them say that they'll be along..."

"Huh?" Tifa furrowed her eyebrows at him.

Cloud pursed his lips and tried to say it again for her: "I'll be along shortly. Aeris n' me'll bring the stuff. Make sure Barret doesn't forget the bomb...meet us at the number seven reactor..."

"Cloud!" Tifa shouted. "Stay here! Focus on me! Don't let your mind wander!"

For the first time since he'd started speaking, Cloud's eyes focused for just a moment. He glanced up at her and smiled serenely. "Tifa, it's...you! It's been...so long. What are you crying for?"

Tifa tried to smile back, but she did not feel any joy. "H-Hey, Cloud," she whispered as she reached out to his waiting hand. He was delusional now...so it wouldn't be much longer before the end. "How do you feel?"

"I feel...funny," Cloud managed. Incredibly, his face brightened. "Wow! You shouldn't have waited so long to come and visit!"

"I came as fast as I could," Tifa cried as she buried her face in his hair. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry," she kept repeating.

Cloud gave her a puzzled look. "What for? Hey, don't look so sad. Come on- smile for me! Just like you used to." Tifa shook her head and refused to budge. "Please?" Cloud persisted at her uncertainty.

Tifa sniffed and brushed a few loose strands of hair out of her eyes. Looking down at him, she managed to smile for him- seeing as it would probably be the last time she'd get the chance to. Her eyes still bore a sad look, but underneath there was a slight glimmer of elation- if only because he wished it of her.

"There," Cloud smiled back as his eyes lost their focus once more. "Just like that...you're so beautiful, Tifa."

Tifa choked down a sob and covered her mouth with a free hand. Cloud was no longer able to support his own hand, and Tifa had to hold the full weight of it herself.

"Cloud, I...I love you," she said softly. She had to tell him at least once before the end.

Cloud's eyes closed, but the smile still remained. "...I love you, too," he whispered as he exhaled for the final time.

Hearing those words from his lips did little to quell the intense emotions that welled up within her. She didn't know how or why, but the great Cloud Strife had been dealt a mortal blow- all while defending her from danger.

Oddly enough, she no longer felt the need to cry. The pain that tore through her heart cut so deep that all the crying in the world would do little to ease her mind. All she could do now was cradle his lifeless body in her arms and imagine all of the things that could have been.

The others would probably be worried about her. If they stayed in the Nibelheim area like she'd asked them to, then sooner or later they would come searching for her. Well, Tifa would wait here until they found her. If it ended up being two days or two weeks then so be it. Nothing would be able to move her from this spot.

Just as she had resigned herself to that fact, there was a blast of wind that picked up dust and other loose particles and flung them haphazardly around the room. Through squinted eyes, she saw three forms materialize in front of her.

"Kether!" she gasped as she recognized him. She protectively wrapped herself around Cloud's body. "What are you doing here? I...I won't let you do anything more to Cloud!" she screamed at him. It hadn't occurred to her that Kether may actually intend to do something to _her_, instead, but Tifa's mind was so flustered that she wasn't thinking correctly.

"Tifa!" Cid said as he rushed to her side. "Tifa, what in god's name happened here?!"

"Cid?" Tifa asked as her eyes slowly shifted from Kether to the man who was now next to her. "Cid, what are you doing here?"

"He brought us," Cid replied quickly, jerking his thumb in the direction of the silent Kether. Looking down at Cloud's body, he shook his head when he saw the wound. Just to be extra sure, though, he reached out and pressed his forefingers against Cloud's neck, but it was no use: he was dead.

"H-He tried to save me!" Tifa gushed as she pushed herself into Cid's startled frame. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back gently. "There, there," he said nervously. He glanced over at Vincent with a worried look on his face. It seemed he didn't have a single clue as to what he should be doing in a situation like this. "It's not your fault."

"What's _he_ doing here!" Tifa demanded suddenly. "You're not welcome here!"

"You assume I have no reaction over this unfortunate turn of events," Kether replied with a smirk.

"Well, judging from the look on your face I'd say not," Tifa answered him vehemently.

Kether shook his head and walked over to Cloud's body. "I am sad," he remarked. "Sad that I was not the one to kill him. Still, I suppose it was inevitable if he came here- after all, you cannot remain unscathed if you attack yourself."

"Cloud didn't kill himself!" Tifa blurted out. "He died trying to save me!"

"I never said he killed himself," Kether remarked curtly. "I only said that he attacked himself."

"That's absurd!" Cid jumped in on the conversation. "Why would Cloud attack himself?"

"What does it matter?" Kether shrugged. "He is dead, so it's an irrelevant matter. It'd take a miracle to bring him back as he is now."

Tifa tilted her head slightly and narrowed her eyes. "What did you just say?"

"Am I to assume from your tone," Vincent spoke up, "that you know of a way to bring Cloud back?"

"If I did, I certainly wouldn't tell you!" Kether scoffed. "You people are my enemies. There's no reason why I should help you at all."

"No!" Tifa shouted as she pushed off of Cid and ran to Kether. She clutched his sleeves helplessly and sunk to her knees. Looking up at him, she said softly: "Please! I beg you! If you know of a way to help Cloud, then please...do whatever it takes! I'll even let you kill me if that's what you want!"

"Tifa!" Vincent said quickly.

"Shut up!" Tifa barked. It hurt that she had to get on her knees and beg her enemy to take her own life, but if that was his price, then so be it. She hadn't wanted Cloud to sacrifice his life for her own in the first place.

Kether put a finger to his chin thoughtfully. "You know, I don't see how that is a compelling argument. If I wanted to, I could kill you right now without having to worry about reviving Cloud at all."

Tifa's face grew dark. "You're no savior," she said openly. "You have no heart; no conscience or feelings! You're just a monster hell bent on getting things your own way, and you don't care how many lives you ruin in order to do that!"

Vincent feared a remark like that would incur the full wrath of the younger man, but Kether merely stared at Tifa silently, unmoving.

"But you know," Tifa continued, "you can't really be a savior if you don't actually _save_ the planet from something. If Cloud's dead, then your one wish has already been denied!

"If that still isn't enough, then consider this: you said you regretted that you were unable to kill Cloud yourself, right? Then if it's within your power to revive him, then do it! Revive him so that you can turn right back around and kill him!"

Kether smiled down at her. Tifa in turn, smiled defiantly back at him. There was no hesitation or trepidation in her voice- merely a firm determination.

It started out as a low, almost inaudible chuckle. Then, it grew into an irrepressible laughter that seemed to echo throughout the entire building.

Vincent kept his hand next to his gun while Cid took a step closer towards Tifa. If he needed to, he would put himself between any advances Kether may make.

Instead of attacking, Kether merely shook his head and stared brightly at Tifa. "You know something," he said jovially, "I really like you. I mean that, Tifa. I really, really like you. A spirit like yours is so hard to find nowadays- so bright and full of energy."

"Then...does that mean...?" Tifa asked hopefully.

"Just stand back," Kether replied as he knelt down next to Cloud's body.

Reaching into his long coat, he withdrew a rather familiar looking sword.

"That sword!" Vincent said harshly. "Wh...where did you get that?" he demanded.

"That is not for you to know," Kether replied quickly.

"Wait," Tifa interrupted, "what about it? Is it special or something?"

Kether glanced over at her before he held up the sword for her to inspect. The delicate designs that were carved into the sword were just as she remembered, and it still gave off that uncanny impression of being alive. Other than that, she knew nothing about it.

"Orchrist," Kether spoke softly. "This blade has seen more wars than history can count; taken more lives than most would believe possible. However, even after all this time it remains as sharp as ever, and not once has its blade been chipped or damaged in battle. A single blemish cannot now, nor will one ever be visible on this sword for as long as it exists."

"Orchrist," Tifa repeated the word as if in a trance.

"Yes," Kether nodded. "With each life taken by this sword it grows in strength. However, as its owner I have the ability to exchange a person's life for one of the lives taken by the sword."

Tifa pressed her lips together firmly. "And you would do this for us?" she asked hesitantly.

"I will," Kether answered her. "But on one condition."

Tifa braced herself and awaited his stipulation.

"At some point in the future you must be ready to answer my call. You do not need to know when or where I will summon you, but you must come to me immediately. Then, you must do anything that I ask you to do."

"Now hold on a minute!" Cid said angrily. "What kinda bullshit are you tryin' to pull?"

"I will not ask her to kill anyone," Kether told him firmly, "for I know that it goes against her principles. Anything other than that, however, is free game. Do you find the terms acceptable, Tifa?" he smiled menacingly.

Tifa swallowed hard, but nodded quickly. "If that's what it takes to save him."

"Then stand back," Kether said dramatically as he gripped the hilt of his sword firmly, "and watch as this rotting corpse is imbued with new life!"


	13. Chapter 13: Austere Exposition

Before anyone could react, Kether drove Orchrist deeply into Cloud's still form.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Cid shouted as he desperately grabbed at Kether's arm to pull him away from Cloud. Once he drew near, however, a green bolt of light exploded towards him. A few of the beams connected, ripping the fabric of his clothing and cutting deeply into his skin. "Gah!" he yelped as he quickly withdrew his hand. "Shit! God that hurt!"

"Cid, don't touch him!" Vincent ordered quickly. "Look at him," he pointed with a metallic claw. "He is no longer in this place."

Kether's face was turned slightly upright with his eyes only half open. His mouth was ajar as well, as if he were in a trance of some sort.

"I do not think it's wise to get anywhere near them right now."

"No shit," Cid replied sarcastically. "I almost got my arm sliced off..." With his free hand he attempted to grasp the wound to stop it from bleeding, but he let out another yelp and decided to just leave it alone.

"What is he doing?" Tifa asked quietly. "Do you know what's going on, Vincent?"

The man shook his head slowly. "I couldn't even begin to guess. I only hope that whatever it is, he hurries."

"And why is that?" Cid asked as he pulled out a cigarette and prepared to light it.

Vincent glanced around cautiously. "I have a premonition...something that died here was not laid to rest, and I can feel it slowly encroaching on our position."

Cid dropped the cigarette and glanced nervously around the room. "The hell are you tryin' to do, give me a heart attack?! What, you're sayin' something's gonna attack us?"

"No. At least, not yet," Vincent replied. "But I wouldn't like to provoke it. The sooner we leave this place, the better."

Tifa glanced down at Cloud and now Kether's frozen forms. First Cloud gets stabbed and now this...wouldn't anything go right for her, just this once?

FFVII

"Wha-?" Kether suppressed a chuckle as he quickly dodged Cloud's fist. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I should be asking you the same thing!" Cloud shot back. "I don't know what the hell's going on, but I know for a fact that I don't wanna be in the same place as you!"

"That's not very nice," Kether remarked lightly. "And here I came to save you."

"Save me from what?"

"From death. You probably don't realize it yet, but you're dead, Cloud."

Cloud froze in his tracks. It seemed every time this person opened his mouth something came out that rendered their fighting obsolete. "What did you just say? I'm...I'm dead?" Cloud repeated slowly.

"Pierced by your own sword, no less," Kether laughed.

Cloud glanced down and saw that everything was fine. There were no injuries of any sort, much less a stab wound. "Why should I believe you?" he asked suspiciously.

Kether rolled his eyes. "Just look around you- don't you recognize where we are?"

"All I see is black."

"Precisely," Kether nodded. "We are in limbo. At first I was worried that I wouldn't make it in time to keep your body from entering the lifestream...someone must've been holding you back."

Cloud furrowed his eyebrows, but otherwise said nothing.

"No matter," Kether continued, "you and I are both here, and I am offering you another chance at life."

Cloud tried to keep the surprise out of his eyes, but it didn't seem to be working. "Why would you do something like that? I thought you wanted me dead!" he demanded.

Kether shook his head slowly and clicked his tongue. "Cloud, Cloud...are you saying that you don't want your life given back to you?"

"I-I never said that!" Cloud spat. "I just wanna know why! You must be doing it for some reason!"

"Of course I'm doing it for a reason! You don't think I'd do something like this for free, do you?"

"Then tell me!" Cloud said firmly. "What are you getting in return for this?"

"I'm getting Tifa," Kether answered matter-of-factly. "At some point in time- to be decided by me- she will come to me and serve me until I release her."

"And you think I'd let you do something like that?!" Cloud fumed. His face was bright red in anger, but he refrained from any aggressive actions.

"It's what Tifa wants," Kether stated.

"I would rather be cut into a thousand tiny pieces before I let her do anything like that! Your business is finished here, so leave!"

"But you should have seen the look on her face when she saw you lying there, face down and on the floor, covered in your own blood. Is that what you want for her?"

"I..." Cloud faltered briefly. "I don't care! I won't allow Tifa to subject herself to your whims!"

"Very well," Kether waved as he slowly disappeared from sight. "But if I do not revive you, then there is no reason for me to keep her alive."

Startled by that new revelation, Cloud shouted, "W-Wait a minute!" He dove towards Kether's translucent form, but because he came into contact with nothing, Cloud ended up landing in an unceremonious heap on the floor. Fortunately, his exclamation did cause Kether to come back. "Tifa is with you right now?!!" Cloud breathed heavily.

"Not only her, but Vincent and Cid, as well. If I do not revive you, then I will eliminate them, along with the woman."

Cloud ground his teeth together and stared at the ground intently. "Dammit," he muttered under his breath.

"You know, you're an odd one," Kether observed. "Here I am, ready to give your life back to you, and yet I must threaten the lives of your friends before you even consider it."

"It's because of Tifa!" Cloud shouted loudly. "What the hell do you intend on doing to her?"

"I'm not going to _do_ anything to her," Kether replied evenly. "The human female is a creature of beauty and grace, deserving only of the utmost admiration and respect. If I violate her- be it either mental or physical- then I am no better than an animal, even if she is my enemy. Rest assured, my intentions towards here are entirely unadulterated."

"...and I have your word on this?" Cloud asked quietly.

"What I have said is enough," Kether answered with an irritated glance. "Now, it is time for you to decide: life or death? Remember that your decision affects the lives of your friends, as well."

Cloud's eyes drooped and he hung his head lowly. For a long time, he didn't say anything- merely remained sitting on the floor staring at the ground.

Then, he spoke almost inaudibly: "I choose..."

FFVII

"What's taking so long," Cid remarked, tapping his foot nervously. "Vincent, why don't you try to move them or something?"

Vincent narrowed his eyes at Cid's comment. "As if what happened to you wasn't enough, this," he said as he held up his metal appendage, "turns me into a human lightning rod. You think I would go anywhere near them right now?"

"But we've gotta do something! I mean, now even _I_ can tell that there's something not right about this place. It's really giving me the creeps, and I wanna get outta here right goddamn now!"

"I'm not going anywhere without Cloud," Tifa spoke up. "No matter what happens, if I die, then I want to die by his side!"

"That may just happen," Cid warned. "Don't talk about your life so carelessly."

"He's right," Vincent agreed. "If it becomes a matter of life and death, then we will flee this place."

"You two can do what you want!" Tifa huffed.

"_We_...will flee this place," Vincent repeated firmly.

Tifa was about to reply, but an enormous crash startled the words out of her mind. She barely had time to move out of the way before an enormous portion of the rocky ceiling collapsed, effectively cutting off their access to the outside.

"Fuck!" Cid yelled once the commotion had died down. "There goes our exit!"

Tifa covered her mouth with her hands in an effort to filter out the dust clouds that were now swirling around the room. "Maybe it was just that section?" she said in a nasal tone. "The staircase is probably fine."

"Well, we won't know until we observe," Vincent said quickly as he struggled to remove portions of the rock that were blocking the passage. He glanced over at Kether, only to see that he hadn't budged an inch. Much to his chagrin, Cloud also remained unchanged.

This certainly was a bad turn of events. There was no doubt in his mind that this incident had been caused by that maleficent aura, but he wasn't about to worry the others by voicing his opinion. Better to let things play out naturally.

"Y'know," Cid grunted as he struggled to move a particularly large rock, "this wouldn't be so bad if Kether wasn't here and Cloud wasn't lying on the floor with a hole the size of my ship in his stomach."

"Don't say that!" Tifa remarked curtly. "This is really serious!"

"Hey, I'm just trying to lighten the mood," he admitted. "Damn, this thing just _won't BUDGE_!"

Suddenly, his hands slipped and he stumbled backwards into Tifa's outstretched arms. With a little effort, she was able to prevent him from falling, although the look he was now giving her said that it probably would have hurt his pride less if he'd merely fallen.

"What happened?" Vincent asked.

"Hell if I know!" Cid blurted loudly. "Rock just got real slippery all of a sudden."

He walked over and examined the stone in question. "What is this?" he said mostly to himself. Using a gloved hand to wipe some of the substance off, he held it up to his face and scrutinized it. "Is this...is this blood?!" he exclaimed.

There wasn't any time for a response. A steady stream of the red liquid was now leaking through the stones and collecting in a large puddle on the floor.

"Vincent?" Tifa asked worriedly.

Their exit was blocked, that much was certain. The only choice they now had was to go backwards. "Go into the lab!" he told her quickly. "Lock the door; bolt it; barricade it! Do whatever it takes!"

"What about Cloud?"

"What about him?" came a voice from behind her.

Jumping in surprise, she spun around to see Kether standing behind her with a serious look on his face. Cloud was draped over his shoulder, but at least he was breathing, which was certainly more than what he'd been doing five minutes ago.

"Cloud, y-you're alive!" Tifa cried joyously.

"Don't!" Kether commanded when she made a move to reach for him. "He is still disoriented. The wound has not yet fully healed, either, and he is very weak. It will be some time before he can even speak, much less handle an embrace from a hysterical woman. Besides, we have more pressing matters right now."

The puddle slowly shifted and began to take shape.

"There's no more time!" Vincent shouted. "Cid, take Cloud and Tifa into the laboratory and lock yourselves inside! Kether and I will handle this!"

"Whoat, wait a minute! No, I won't!" Kether objected.

Vincent gave him a startled look. "What are you talking about? Kether, I need your help!"

"I cannot fight him!" came the swift reply.

"Why the hell not?!" Cid interjected. "Don't tell me you're scared or somethin'?" Kether's face was firm, but he did not reply. "Answer me!" Cid demanded.

"I will say no more on the matter!" Kether replied, equally enraged at Cid's probing.

"Agh, fine!" Cid bellowed. "_You_ take Tifa and Cloud to the lab. I'll stay and help Vincent."

"No," Vincent said quietly. "Cid...you go with them. I'll take care of this."

"By yourself?"

Vincent shook his head. "I am not alone. Please...I do not wish for anyone to see me..."

Cid hesitated. "You sure that's what you want, man?"

Vincent's eyes were all the response he needed.

"Okay. You'd better win, though, all right? I'm gonna get really pissed if you do something stupid!"

"I know. Now hurry! Close the door and don't open it...until you hear my voice..."

Without another word Cid, along with Tifa, Kether, and Cloud, made his way to the lab and bolted the door shut behind him.

Once they had disappeared, Vincent let out a heavy breath. A pale red light began to emanate from his body, but he did not fight it this time.

Cold...like ice water flowing through his veins. His very being was being taken over, and yet he allowed it to be so.

"_Forgive me_," he thought desperately.

The figure that now stood in front of him looked like something straight out of his nightmares- haggard, bright red eyes covered a body that didn't look entirely solid. Although it was hardly human in shape, beneath the ripples of the red water there appeared to be the visages of small children- perhaps no older than ten staring right back at him with hungry eyes.

Then he let out a startled gasp. He'd crossed the threshold, and his vision was beginning to fade to black. The feeling of guilt that now washed over him nearly consumed his spirit- the sadness of having to resort to this...and the disgust he felt because he was partially looking forward to it.

Surely there was no forgiveness for a man who surrendered his humanity so easily. But such thoughts soon faded form his mind completely. He was going to that world between worlds- the only place he could truly say he found rest: that comatose state while hanging between worlds. At least there, he could escape from the memories...

He didn't even hear the demon's vile laughter as it made a move towards the bloody monster.

FFVII

"What the hell...is going on?" Cloud demanded as loudly as he could manage.

"Don't talk," Kether ordered firmly. "You'll only end up hurting yourself."

Tifa glanced nervously at the door, and then over to where Kether was sitting. He was using his own shoulder as a brace for Cloud to balance against. Looking at them now, it was hard to believe that they were, in fact, mortal enemies.

"So...what did happen, exactly?" Cid queried once the silence had become unbearable. "I mean...you had said something about Cloud attacking himself?"

"What?!" Cloud blurted out.

A stern look from Kether silenced any further exclamations he may have had. Turning to look at Cid, he replied: "That is not an appropriate conversation to have while he's sitting right here."

"The hell it isn't! If you know what just happened, then tell me!" insisted the former member of SOLDIER.

Kether rolled his eyes slightly. Reaching over towards Cloud's face, he formed a pale sphere of light in his hand and, once he'd passed it over Cloud's eyes, the ex-SOLDIER member immediately fell unconscious.

"I told you not to talk," Kether declared simply. "You should have listened."

Tifa leaned forward and examined Cloud's sleeping frame. "What was that you just did?" she asked. "It didn't look like a sleep spell."

"That's because it wasn't. It's really quite useful, though- a person under its influence recovers at a much faster rate than they normally would. It's also more restful than normal sleep."

"Well, good for him," Cid remarked dryly. "Glad one of us gets to relax right now. But now that he's out of it, why don't you try explaining what the hell it was you were talking about?"

"I don't believe I can put it more simply," Kether regarded Cid with a tired look in his eyes. "Cloud attacked himself, and he suffered for it. That's all there is to it."

"You must be mistaken," Tifa informed him. "I only saw it for a second, but the thing that attacked me definitely wasn't Cloud."

"Yes," Kether countered, "it was. Or rather, one of his personas."

"One of his _what's_?"

"Persona: a reflected image of one's self, or that mental image projected publicly," Kether explained briefly.

Tifa shook her head. "Cloud isn't anything like what that monster was!"

Kether could only chuckle at her response. "Tifa, you're still so naïve. You really need to work on that, you know? In the human mind there consist so many facets of humanity that it is impossible for one person to merely be represented by a select few."

"...and that means what, exactly?" Cid interrupted.

"Basically, that the characteristics of the human mind are composed of many conflicting emotions. What separates us from the animals, however, is that we are capable of determining which ones dominate. However, the remaining selves within us still exist in the metaphysical sense. That cannot change, no matter how much we may want it to."

"Okay, you lost me," Cid threw up his hands in disgust as he headed towards the far end of the lab. "If you need me, I'll be over here." With that, he sat down in the large chair and pulled out his spear. Silently, he began to sharpen the edge with a tiny stone.

"Wait a minute," Tifa said aloud softly. "So you're saying...that the thing I saw was a part of Cloud?"

Kether nodded.

"A part that doesn't show, and yet still exists inside of him?"

"Bingo."

Closing her eyes in frustration, she cracked of few of her knuckles before returning to the conversation. "But...why would an aspect of Cloud manifest itself in a physical sense? Emotions aren't tangible."

"Au contraire," Kether contradicted easily. "What do you think that thing out there is?" he asked as he motioned towards the door.

Tifa shivered merely at the thought of it. "I assumed it was just some monster."

"Nope. You know what a poltergeist is, don't you?"

Tifa could help but let out a small chuckle at his remark. "You aren't serious, are you? Grow up, Kether."

"Do I look like I'm joking?" he replied evenly. "There are many things in this world that have yet to be discovered or explained. Personally, I don't find it so hard to believe."

"But even if they existed, that's not a poltergeist!" Tifa told him smugly. "Those only reveal themselves through strange noises and other little things."

Kether stared at her knowingly. "Now, Tifa, tell me honestly: you really think some of the things you've fought in the past were just run-of-the-mill creatures? I think you know that poltergeists are capable of much more than just 'noises', as you so quaintly put it."

Well, he certainly had a point there. Now that she thought about it, there were a few things did come to mind. Most memorably was the demon they faced in the Gi cave, and if that thing wasn't a demon of some sort, then there was nothing else that could even come close to qualifying!

"But...aren't poltergeists a representation of suppressed emotion?" she asked.

"Most notably anger and hostility," Kether informed her. "There are also instances where sexual frustration can be a cause."

Tifa glanced nervously to where Cloud was laying. "Can he hear us?"

"Don't worry, he's still asleep."

Tifa nodded. "If that's the case," she continued from before, "then that means that Cloud would have wanted it to happen in some form or another."

"That is the theory," Kether acceded.

Tifa furrowed her eyebrows. "But why would he want to do that?"

"Usually revenge. Do not forget, we are standing in the very mansion- the very room- where Cloud was forced to undergo mako fusion. I imagine that at the time he was very bitter and desired nothing more than to see his oppressors suffer."

"Since poltergeists stay in the place where they're convocated, then that must be the case," Tifa replied softly. "They must've done some terrible things to him..."

"Indeed," Kether agreed without a hint of emotion in his voice.

"So the manifestations of Cloud's emotions were none other than repressed aspects of himself? That's why when he attacked it..."

"It was like attacking his own body," Kether finished for her.

"Then, what makes you think that thing out there is a poltergeist as well? Is there a reason for why you can't attack it?"

Kether's eyes narrowed briefly, but then his face resumed its calm look. "Because...it...I mean, I..." He trailed off and merely shrugged. "Doesn't really matter," he grinned foolishly at her.

"I guess I can't expect more than that from you," Tifa sighed. "It can only be one thing, though...those poor children..."

"The trauma from their demise no doubt spawned the creature faster than Cloud's own incarnations."

"Wait a second...you mean there's more than one?!" Tifa shouted.

Kether narrowed his eyes. "Did I just say that? I guess I should stop talking now..."

"No, wait, how do you know there are more than one?" Tifa demanded. "Tell me! Who are you?! How do you know so much about everyone and everything?!"

"I don't have to answer you, and there's nothing you can do to change that, so stop talking."

"I'm not gonna stop talking until you tell me!" Tifa replied obstinately.

Kether glared at her with fiery eyes. Swiftly, he pressed his hand to Cloud's shoulder, which caused him to stir.

"Dammit!" Tifa said through gritted teeth. With Cloud awake, there was no way they would be able to continue their conversation. Well, she would get it out of him sooner or later, that much she was determined to do.

"You bozos finished chattin'?" Cid called from the back room.

"Yeah," Tifa answered with a hint of irritation in her voice. "Kether decided to be an ass."

"Is that so?" Cid chuckled.

"What's...going on?" Cloud murmured with a dazed look on his face.

"Don't say another word or I'll put you back to sleep," Kether warned.

Cloud pursed his lips together and said nothing else, though his eyes burned with an internal fury.

With seemingly nothing else to talk about, the four of them sat in that room for what seemed like a small eternity. Reading was out of the question, for the books turned to piles of dust as soon as they were touched. Exploring also wasn't an option: the laboratory only consisted of the two, small rooms.

With a disgruntled sigh, Tifa got to her feet and made her way towards the large door. After fiddling with the locking mechanism for a few moments, she heard a soft click as it was released.

"Tifa!" Cid whispered fiercely. "Vincent told us not to open the door until he tells us it's all right!"

"I just wanna see what's going on!" she replied briskly. "I haven't heard any commotion in there for a while..."

"I'm telling you, that's not a good idea!"

"But what if he's hurt?" Tifa countered. "Look, we can't stay in here forever!"

"Just sit down and be patient," Kether replied condescendingly, as if he were speaking to a child.

Tifa huffed slightly. Returning her attention to the door, she turned the knob and pulled open the monstrous panel. Peering through the small aperture, everything seemed normal...except for the fact that there was nobody there.

She could see neither Vincent, nor the monster he had been fighting; however, wherever they were, it couldn't be too far, for the passageway was still blocked off.

"Well?" Cid pressed curiously. "What do you see?"

"I don't see anything," Tifa replied quietly.

"What do you mean, you don't see anything?" Kether asked with mild disbelief. "Did they just up and disappear?"

"I dunno," Tifa remarked. Pulling open the door a little more, she moved her head around the corner so that she could see the entire tunnel area. Nothing. Had they really...disappeared?

With a perturbed look on her face, Tifa withdrew and pressed firmly on the door to close it once more.

A clawed hand shot through the opening and wrapped around the frame, preventing it from moving.

Tifa let out a startled cry as she fell backwards and scooted over to where Kether and Cid were standing.

A charcoal black face pressed itself up through the orifice so that only one eye was visible, but it was enough to send shivers down Tifa's spine.

The yellow eye, with only a small, black pupil, peered into the room, while swiveling in its socket as if it were searching for something. There was a toothy grin that leisurely spread across the visage as it slowly, deliberately pushed the door open wider.

"I thought," came the low, raspy voice, "that he told you...not to open the door!!"


	14. Chapter 14: Life

"Vincent!" Tifa shouted loudly as she gradually got to her feet. "What are you doing?!"

The creature regarded her with a diabolic grin. "Vincent is not present at the moment," he chuckled, "so I can do whatever I want."

"Vincent wouldn't let you!" Cid added to the argument. "Stand down, Chaos!"

At this, the demon merely threw back his head in raucous laughter. "He told me that I could stay out only until I killed that little miscreation; however, seeing as it fled before I could do so, I'm afraid I'm going to have to substitute one of you in it's place. As you can imagine, I'm feeling rather piqued after having been cooped up for so long."

Tifa and Cid swallowed visibly, but Cloud and Kether looked on with tired glances. "Chaos," Cloud spoke up, "you know Vincent would never forgive you if you killed one of us. Just chill out and go back to sleep."

"Insolent human!" Chaos bellowed. "How dare you speak to me in such a manner! I shall do whatever I want to whomever I please!" He took a dangerous step towards the group as he stared down at them, menacingly.

"Then do it to him," Cloud suggested, thrusting his thumb in Kether's direction. Kether shot him a furious look, but Cloud didn't pay any attention to it. "I don't think Vincent would mind if you eviscerated that low-life, although I think you'll find yourself quite outmatched."

"Oh?" Chaos murmured, now more than slightly intrigued. "And whom might you be, human?"

"I am Kether," came the even response.

Chaos regarded him silently, as if he were analyzing some new prey. "And you are special...because?" he taunted suddenly.

"Because I am merciless to anyone who would attack me," Kether grinned. "I know that Vincent is dormant inside of you, but don't think that'll stop me from killing you. After all," he replied, matching Chaos' evil grin, "Vincent is my enemy, too."

"Well just see how your words match up to your actions!" Chaos bellowed as he reached out a massive hand to rip Kether's head from his neck.

Kether's form disappeared from sight before reappearing behind Chaos.

"W-Wha-?" was all he had a chance to utter before a swift kick from Kether sent Chaos flying into the laboratory walls. Books that had been sitting on the shelves came tumbling down, burying the demon beneath their masses.

"Oh, so _now_ you can fight," Cid uttered sarcastically.

"I'll come for you next if you don't shut up!" came Kether's heated retort.

"Don't treat me like I'm not here!" Chaos ordered loudly. With a deafening roar, he burst from his literary cocoon and formed a seal with his hands. "See if you can dodge this!" he sneered.

Kether waited patiently for the attack to come. "Whatever it is, it'll be your last," he said lowly.

Chaos didn't even bother to reply. He pushed his hands forward and a large, red seal formed in mid-air. In response, the entire building trembled malevolently as if it were on the verge of collapse. Suddenly, the atmosphere of the room took on a reddish tint, and the stench of rotting flesh and decay permeated the area.

Lowering his hands, Chaos flapped his wings so that he was hovering in the air. Then, using the wall behind him Chaos dug his heels into the wall and launched himself forward, ready to attack once more.

"Is that all?" Kether laughed in disbelief. "It's gonna take more than sights and smells to beat me!"

Even as Chaos threw a punch at Kether's body, the man sidestepped and reached out to snatch Chaos' hand inside his own. Then, with his free arm, Kether sent a powerful downward blow onto the demon's elbow joint, neatly snapping it in two.

Letting out a startled cry, Chaos dropped to his knees and stared wide-eyed at the wound that had been inflicted upon him.

"Had enough, yet?" Kether taunted.

The demon half closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. Then, with a slight grin, Chaos reached over and pulled his broken arm back into its socket with a loud popping sound. Flexing his repaired ligament experimentally, he was pleased to see the muscles beneath his brawny flesh rippling as he did so. "Heh. I got you."

"What?!" Kether's eyes grew wide in surprise.

Without warning, the ground beneath his feet exploded and he was now floating mid-air, upheld by some mysterious force. Struggling with all his might, he looked at the ground to see the open sockets of a demonic skeleton staring back at him.

"Dammit!" He seethed as he struggled vainly to remove the invisible force that was keeping him at bay. "You tricked me!"

Laughing maniacally, Chaos took a step back to observe his handiwork. "Your threats are as empty as your skull," he laughed. "All I have to do is give the word, and your body will be torn to shreds!"

"Like I'll let that happen!" Kether spat.

Closing his eyes, he began chanting the mantra that would instantaneously transport him to another location.

Unlike Tifa and Cloud, however, Chaos recognized the words immediately. "Not so fast!" he cried as he clapped his hands together. There was a loud explosion and a flash of white light that concentrated its full exertion on Kether's body.

A terrified cry tore through the room, causing everyone in it to flinch in pain.

"Kether!" Tifa cried loudly. "Are you okay?!"

The light slowly began to disappear from sight until Kether was visible once more. His body was hunched slightly, but his eyes still shone fiercely; he wasn't even aware of the blood trickling from his nose and ears.

Now that the attack was over, though, Kether's body slowly fell back to the ground where he immediately collapsed to his knees.

"Hm," Chaos observed with a hint of admiration. "You're pretty strong for a human. That attack has never failed to kill any living thing I've used it on."

"God...dammit," was all that Kether could mutter. "You were lucky! That same trick won't work twice."

"Hah ha! Just look at yourself! I won't even need to use it again!" With that, he brought up his massive hand and made ready to bring it crashing down onto Kether's skull. "Now, die!" he shouted gleefully.

His fist came tumbling down, but instead of connecting, it merely passed through the air.

"What?!" he cried angrily.

Glancing to the side, he saw Tifa holding Kether's limp body in her arms. She was now staring at him with a stern look on her face. "That's enough, Chaos!" she said. "You've had your fun! There's no reason to kill him!"

"What the fuck?! Tifa! How the hell did you move like that?! You were as fast as Kether!" Cid shouted.

Tifa ignored his comment. Right now, she had to keep all of her attention on Chaos. She hadn't yet gotten used to the increased speed, and her mind was getting somewhat fuzzy. If the demon picked this moment to attack, then she was as good as dead...

"You think you can beat me, little girl?" Chaos laughed.

Tifa leaned over to place Kether's body on the ground. "Don't think this changes anything," he grumbled at her. "You're still under contract!"

"Whatever," Tifa rolled her eyes. "Now's not the time for that!"

So saying, she returned her attention to Chaos and got into her fighting stance: feet apart, one slightly forward; arms help up in an ideal defensive posture. "I don't know if I can beat you," she said earnestly, "but I'm not gonna let you kill anyone!"

"Tifa!" Cloud said angrily.

"Shut up, Cloud!"

Chaos didn't even give her the benefit of a warning. With a mad grin, he charged towards her with his arms outstretched. "I'll enjoy eating the peeled flesh from your bones, child!" he laughed.

Tifa furrowed her eyebrows and concentrated. Speed...she needed speed _now_!

She saw a flash of light, and then her vision became blurry once again. Her perception of the world looked rather concave, so she assumed she was doing it correctly. Now it was time for something different: Tifa had already been able to form a fire type spell in her hands, but she hadn't done so while simultaneously under the influence of a haste spell. Hopefully she would be able to handle it; otherwise, Chaos would be free to do as he pleased with her...needless to say that was a bad thing...

Darting forward, she could barely make out the surprised look on Chaos' face as he tried to adjust the angle of his punch. He wasn't quick enough, however, for Tifa had already made her way under his arm and behind him.

"Now!" she thought desperately.

Cupping her hands together, she concentrated all of her energy into one of her fists while simultaneously forming a small fireball in the other. Tifa could feel herself begin to black out, but she gritted her teeth and by sheer force of will managed to stay awake.

Chaos had now turned to face her, but his arms were moving up in a defensive posture to block his face. This was, of course, exactly what Tifa had hoped for.

"Got you," she whispered gravely.

Thrusting the fireball into his gut, his immediate reaction was to lower his arms in response to the blow. As he did so, Tifa brought her other fist around and landed a punch squarely on the demon's face.

There was an audible crunching sound as bones splintered and Chaos tumbled backwards. The walls could not withstand the force of his impact, and they collapsed so that he went sailing back into the other room before he finally skidded to an abrupt halt.

Groaning, Chaos tried to push himself up, but it was no use. With a weary sigh, he fell back to the ground and closed his eyes. His form steadily receded and was replaced by that of their familiar compatriot, Vincent.

"Tifa!" Cid gasped and he ran forward to catch her from falling over. "Are you all right?"

"Y-Yeah," came her weak reply. She managed a half smile as she said, "I think...I'm g-gonna pass out, now."

"That's fine," Cid nodded. "You rest now, okay?"

"Okay," Tifa replied dreamily. "One thing, though."

"Hm?"

"Can we please get out of here?"

FFVII

When next she woke, Tifa found that she was once again in the Highwind's medical bay. Groaning slightly, she turned her head to see Kether laying on the bunk across from her.

"So," he said softly, "finally awake, huh?"

"Yeah," came her tired reply. "How do you feel?"

Kether narrowed his eyes. "I don't know what that demon used on me, but it really screwed up my head. I can't really walk in a straight line and my ears are ringing like crazy."

"Hm," Tifa murmured in reply. He probably didn't know how lucky he was just to get away with the injuries he had. She'd seen that same attack lay to waste various monsters of all sorts.

"And you? I'll bet you feel like crap right now," he chuckled mostly to himself. "I remember when I first started using hyper focused spells. You get used to it after a while, though..."

"So, you use the same thing," Tifa observed. "Cloud told me that it was a result of falling into the lifestream. Is that what happened to you?"

Kether closed his eyes and smiled slightly. "Something like that."

Tifa let out a frustrated sigh. "Why are you so cryptic? I did save your life, you know. Can't you at least indulge my curiosity a little bit?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because."

Tifa clenched her teeth and attempted to keep her temper in check. What was he, a two year old? "Because...why?!"

Kether opened his eyes and winced as he turned to look at her. "Look, there's no reason for me to tell you! Besides, I couldn't, even if I wanted to- my dad would be...extremely upset with me!"

"Your dad?" Tifa raised her eyebrows. "Aren't you a little old to be worried about what your daddy thinks?"

"I believe you would share my sentiment, were you in my shoes," Kether pouted as he rolled onto his side.

"Well, all right," Tifa relented. "Then tell me: who is this person? Your father, I mean? You mentioned him once before, didn't you?"

For a long time, Kether didn't reply, and Tifa was forced to stare at his back. She knew that he would answer eventually, however, so she was content to wait patiently until he was ready.

"He..." Kether began slowly. "He isn't my real father. Actually, to tell you the truth, he isn't even in this world anymore."

"Yet you're worried about him punishing you?"

"It's not like that!" Kether shouted back. "When I first came into this world I had no one. I didn't know who I was, or what I was doing, and it was only because of his help that I am where I am today. I just don't want to do anything to upset him, that's all."

"That's sweet...I guess," Tifa ventured. "But even if he isn't your real father, you must know his name. Did he maybe tell you who your real parents are?"

"I only have one parent," he replied matter-of-factly.

"Okaay," Tifa replied, "then what's his name?"

"You really wanna know?"

Tifa smiled sweetly, even though Kether wasn't looking at her face. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to know."

"But you'll tell everyone, won't you?" he teased.

"I don't see why I would," Tifa retorted. "You know, you shouldn't judge someone before you get to know them. I'm actually a pretty reliable person."

"But I haven't known you that long, so how can I trust your word?" Kether pondered aloud.

"Well, I wouldn't mind getting to know _you _better...if I wasn't so afraid of you slitting our throats while we're sleeping."

"Then the only way to resolve this is to automatically believe anything that the other person says."

"That sounds like a good idea."

"After all, as fellow warriors, we should at least give each other the courtesy of the truth."

"Exactly!" Tifa replied triumphantly. "That's exactly the way it should be!"

Kether rolled over so that he was facing her once again. "And we should believe each other's words, no matter how odd they may be."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Fine, then. But I'm still not gonna tell you."

"W-What?!" Tifa's mouth dropped. Then, her face hardened and she shouted: "What the hell is your problem? Why won't you just tell me?!"

There was a loud, interrupting knock at the door.

"Who's THERE?!" she all but shrieked.

The door opened quickly and Cid stuck his head into the room. "Tifa," he said with a gravelly voice, "we just got a call from Barret. He just told us that there's been a fatality."

"From what?" she sighed as she slowly rubbed her temples.

"...Geo-stigma."

"What?!" she gasped, her irritation having swiftly vanished.

"It's true," Cid affirmed. "Barret was really upset about it, too."

"But that means that anyone who has it might...might..."

"Die?" Kether finished her sentence.

Tifa glared daggers at him. "Maybe you don't realize how much of an epidemic this is! Thousands of people are going to die, and we still don't know if it's contagious!"

"I do know how serious the situation is," Kether corrected her. "But if you have so many questions about it, why don't you ask Vincent?"

Tifa's eyes grew narrow as she shouted: "I knew it! I knew he was hiding something! Where is he? CID!"

"Whoa, slow down there," the pilot attempted to calm her. "Vincent's in the cockpit."

Swinging her feet over the edge of the bed, Tifa shakily got to her feet and pushed her way past Cid.

"Give my regards to Vincent!" Kether called after her with a slight chuckle.

"H-hey!" Cid shouted as he pointed an accusing finger at the man. "I dunno who the hell you think you are, but you butt out of our business! I won't have you stirrin' up a shitload a trouble on my ship!"

"Aye-aye, Captain," Kether mock saluted from his bed. "Close the door, please, and turn out the light. I'm going to sleep."

"Damn kid," Cid grumbled as he acquiesced to Kether's demand. He quickly joined up with Tifa as she steadily made her way to the bridge.

"How is he? Vincent, I mean?" Tifa asked once Cid had matched her position.

"Surprisingly well, considering the royal ass-whooping you gave him," Cid chuckled. "He tells me that he's not in any pain, but he has one helluva shiner."

"I see..." Tifa nodded. It was inevitable that Vincent eventually bear the blunt of her attack in the Shinra mansion, but at the time there was little else she could do. "He's not mad at me, is he?" she asked nervously.

"No," Cid shook his head. "But if you're thinking you can get him to talk, you're outta luck. I've been trying for the past half hour."

Tifa halted mid-step and turned to look at the captain. "He's gotta tell us something! If he knows anything it could help us save lives!"

"What are you two going on about?" came Cloud's voice from behind.

Both Cid and Tifa turned to see their spiky-headed friend ambling towards them.

"Well don't you just look like a million bucks," Cid commented dryly. "If you'd been that well yesterday you really coulda helped us out you dumb shit."

"I didn't see you do anything to help, Captain," Cloud replied with a grin. "Anyway, Tifa I just wanted to tell you that I'm really impressed with the way you handled yourself."

Tifa gave an embarrassed smile and stared at the ground. "You really think so?"

"Sure I do. Now, what were you two talking about?"

"Apparently," Tifa spoke up, "Barret called sometime this morning and said that one of the townspeople had died."

Cloud pursed his lips and nodded solemnly. "That's a shame. Did he say why?"

"Geo-stigma."

No sooner had those words escaped her lips than Cloud's eyes darted open and he jolted slightly. "W-what?" he stammered.

"Yeah, it looks like it's worse than we thought," Cid added.

"I see..." Cloud murmured softly.

"Cloud?" Tifa asked hesitantly. "Are you all right? You look a little pale."

"I'm fine!" Cloud assured her as he flicked a stray piece of hair out of his face. "So...uh, you were gonna go talk to Vincent, I guess?"

"That won't be necessary."

The trio's eyes moved to the doorway and found Vincent standing just outside the frame.

"Well, ain't this just a dandy little get together," Cid commented. "What's up, Vinny?"

"Don't call me that."

"Vincent," Tifa pleaded, "if you can tell us anything, it would mean a great deal to us all! Won't you reconsider?"

"What I know will not affect these unfortunate turn of events, nor will they help alleviate the inevitable results."

"So," Cloud spoke up, "I take it you don't know of any cure?"

Vincent's gaze turned to Cloud. His eyes abruptly narrowed when they fell on the man, but then he let out a weary sigh. "If I did, we would not be having this conversation."

"Oh..."

"However, Barret called again, and I just got off of the communicator with him. He would like for us to secure Marlene to make sure she's all right. However, since we still don't know if Geo-stigma is contagious, he doesn't want us to bring her to him."

"How awful!" Tifa remarked. "Did he say whether or not he's going to meet us?"

"Not for a while. As you can imagine, things are pretty hectic in Corel," Vincent replied.

"Not likely to get any better, either," Cid added as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

Tifa merely stood there without saying another word. What else could be said? At least she could take solace in the fact that none of her friends were infected, though it did little to quell the grief she felt when she thought about all of the people that would die soon.

"Well, I'll get us on a course for Rocket Town, then..." Cid said quietly as he moved past Vincent towards the cockpit.

Tifa silently followed him, and once they were both gone Vincent turned to look at Cloud once more.

"What?" Cloud replied with an irate tone.

"This isn't over, yet," Vincent replied coolly. "I'm going to keep fighting for this planet. I believe Tifa and Cid, Barret, Red XIII, and Yuffie- they all will, too."

He turned and started climbing the staircase that would lead him to the outer deck, but he paused as he was about to ascend the first step.

"I wonder," he said softly. "...will you do the same?"

Cloud's eyebrows lowered in rage, but he did not reply. Even as he watched Vincent go, it was all he could do to keep the tears from escaping. In the past he'd overcome insurmountable challenges and faced ultimate odds, but until this moment he had never felt so completely helpless.

Why? After all he'd done- all the sacrifices he'd made? Why had it come to this?!

"God..." he seethed as he clenched his fist so tightly that his knuckles popped. "God...DAMMIT!" Cloud yelled as he plunged his fist into the wall, denting the reinforced steel.

"Cloud!" came a reassuring voice. "You should know better than that."

He whirled around and saw Kether standing there, quietly.

"What do you _want_?!" Cloud shouted. "Can't you just leave us the hell alone! It's bad enough as it is without your presence here!"

Kether smiled serenely, which put Cloud off guard. Right now, to him, Kether looked almost...benevolent.

"Cloud," he said, ignoring the man's earlier comment, "I...I think I finally understand you. Through your struggles you have lost much, and yet you still continue on. Although I don't agree with what you've done, and though I do intend to fight you to the death, now I can finally sympathize with you. To be the kind of man who fights for what he believes in, even at the cost of everything...that is the man I hope to one day be."

"Kether..."

"There are things happening now that are beyond your control. I told you once before that the fate of humanity hinges on one thing, and one thing alone: the will of the planet. This Geo-stigma, as you call it- couldn't it merely be a kind of retribution from the planet?"

"But why? Many of the people are innocents! Why kill them off?"

"Who can say?" Kether shrugged. "But to an entity that is wholly and intrinsically 'one', what is the significance of the distinction between individuals? All are one to a body that is one."

"That...can't be..." Cloud stammered as he stumbled backwards into the wall. His head was swimming. Had the planet...really betrayed him and his friends? Was it his place to even argue against the will of the planet? With so many questions and no answers, he needed some sort of closure.

"Kether, help me," he said suddenly.

Kether tilted his head and looked at Cloud with a half smile on his face. "What do you mean?"

"There's something about you. I know you're aware of things that I have yet to understand. If you told me, I know I would be able to make sense of all of this!"

"You're aware of the things you spoke of. You just don't know it yet," Kether replied seriously.

"Then help me understand them!" Cloud pleaded. "I'm no leader, no great thinker! I was nothing before I ended up in Midgar seven years ago! I was only something when my path was clearly before me! Without some course, I am nothing! I need some sort of direction in life! Kether!" he repeated strongly. "As someone you respect, I'm asking you: set me on the right path."

"What makes you think I know what your path should be?" Kether scoffed.

"Because," Cloud replied lowly, "when I look at you, I see...myself. It's as if I'm staring into a mirror, and my reflection is staring right back at me."

Kether sighed. "Cloud, it is not my place to say what path you should take. I can, however, help to alleviate your burden. If knowledge is what you require, then that is what I shall give you."

FFVII

"There you are," Tifa spoke up as Cloud entered the cockpit.

Without a word, he walked up to the forward view window and stared out into the open sky. He showed no sign of even having heard her.

"Yo! Cloud!" Cid bellowed. "Where'd ya go, man? Where's Vincent?"

Cloud tore his eyes away from the window and looked at Cid. "I thought he was on the deck, but he's disappeared."

"That figures," Tifa grumbled. "He'll probably come back when it suits him."

"And Kether? Did he ever wake up?"

Cloud nodded.

"And? Where's he?"

"He's gone," Cloud replied lowly.

"What?!" Cid and Tifa shouted at the same time.

"Where'd he go?!" Tifa added to their shared exclamation.

"I dunno," Cloud shrugged.

"Well, did he say anything?" Cid pressed.

"...No."

"Just as well, I suppose," Cid sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "That guy's nothing but trouble. Glad to be rid of him."

A heavy silence penetrated the air, but it was Cloud who spoke up first. "Hey, Cid, can you do me a favor?"

"What's that?"

"Before you go to get Marlene, drop me off at Bone Village. I know it's out of the way," he added when he saw the odd look both Tifa and Cid were giving him, "but...please."

"Mind telling us why you're going there?" Tifa asked.

Cloud shook his head. "Please, Cid, just do it."

"I dunno, man," Cid said warily. "Somethin' about you is different. You sure you're all right?"

For the first time since he'd entered the cabin, Cloud's eyes came to life and he glared at Cid. "It's none of your concern! I'll go there myself if I have to, it's just that this way is fastest."

"Got a point," Cid agreed quickly. He was really in no mood to get Cloud all riled up.

"Cid!" Tifa complained. "Cloud, can I at least go with you? I'm worried about you."

"I'm fine."

"But Cloud-"

"I said I'm fine," Cloud repeated. However, this time his tone was dangerously low.

"Forget about it, Tifa," Cid told the frenzied woman. "We have to get Marlene, so let's worry about that for now. Cloud, I'll drop you off, but there's no guarantee that we can come pick you up right away."

"That's fine," Cloud nodded. "Thanks, Cid."

"Hey, you're welcome."

Tifa furrowed her eyebrows, but she forced herself to remain silent.

FFVII

"There is nothing but darkness here."

"You know that as well as I. But why have you come to me?"

"There's something I wanted to ask you. Until now, I didn't really see the connection, but now I think I understand."

"Oh? Do you? How can you even begin to understand me?"

"Do you enjoy watching them suffer? To be pitted against one another like animals in a cage?"

"Would you even care if you did not love one of them?"

"I love all life."

"Of that, I am well aware. But the love you have for that man is singular and unique. You would do anything in your power to help him, and yet you are held back."

"I cannot do anything for him if I disappear."

"Indeed. For by revealing any knowledge that exists outside of his reality, you sever the link that binds the two of you together in this place."

"That is why I have come to ask you a question in his stead."

"Then what is it?"

"What will you do? If Kether wins, I mean. Do you even care, so long as Cloud dies?"

"Of that, I am already assured, so their fighting is completely pointless in that regard."

"Then why did you sow the seeds of hate in Kether's mind? What purpose did it serve?"

"Because of Kether's relation to Cloud, he is now the only one capable of fulfilling my ambition for me."

"But why? If you're dead, then why continue holding on to the things of the living?"

"You should know better than anyone that death...is merely a term that loosely describes a state of being. As long as I _am_ and continue to _be_, Kether is my archetype."

"For what?"

"For the only thing one such as myself could ever hope for..."


	15. Chapter 15: Countdown

Tifa looked on from the view-port window with a muffled sigh as she watched Cloud slowly make his way towards the tiny village. They had landed just outside the forest, but it was still daylight. Besides, Cloud would be able to handle any monster than crossed paths with him.

Perhaps the thing that troubled her most was the painfully visible sight of his Buster Sword hanging in its sheath. It was the only time she could recall him having worn it since she'd come into contact with him again. Whatever he was going to do with it mattered very little; it was simply that he was _planning_ to do use it somehow that unnerved her so.

"You think he'll be all right?" Cid murmured from his captain's chair some distance away.

Tifa pressed a hand against the glass and outlined Cloud's disappearing figure with her finer. "I'm sure he can take care of himself."

"You know that ain't what I meant."

Tifa could only smile at Cid's reply. "You mean where is he going, and when is he coming back?"

"Yeah."

"Who knows?" Tifa shrugged. "I'm positive he'll be back, though."

"What makes you think that?" Cid flashed a questioning glance in her direction before looking back at the control panel.

"Cause he made me a promise," Tifa said confidently. Her speaking those words had the twofold purpose of answering Cid's question, as well as quieting any of her own doubts. "And Cloud keeps his promises."

"You think so?"

"Cid!" Tifa barked. "We have to believe in him, just like we did two years ago! Everything turned out all right then, didn't it?"

Cid let out a slight chuckle. "Y'know, the more I think about it, I can't help but wonder..."

Tifa narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean, Cid?"

Cid inhaled on his cigarette sharply before responding. "We put everything on the line, Tifa- you, me, n' everyone else who was on this ship. Guess it wasn't good enough, though, cause the fuckin' planet's started killing people off all on her own!"

"Don't let that get to you!" Tifa pleaded. "There's gotta be an answer! There's just gotta be!"

"Hmph," Cid snorted. "Maybe it would have been better if we hadn't done anything at all. If we're all gonna die, anyway, then what's the point?"

In an instant, Tifa closed the distance that was between her and the captain and, with a slight growl, backhanded him across the face hard enough to leave a print.

"How dare you say that!" she spat. "What about Aeris?! Huh? She thought that saving the planet was worth _dying _for! She sacrificed herself for us, and now you just wanna pass it off as nothing?!

I'm sick and tired of this!" she fumed as she took her place back at the window. Cid merely stared at her in shocked silence. "People all around me are beginning to lose hope...to give up, and I can't stand it! What if we hadn't done anything back then, Cid?" she asked with a shaking voice. "We would all be dead and Sephiroth would be this planet's ruler. But we didn't give up! We acted, and now we're alive! We're all still alive, Cid!" she shouted. "That's why I'm never going to give up! I didn't do it before, and I'm not about to start now! As long as we're alive, I believe we can find the answers we need..."

"Tifa, I, uh-..." Cid stammered as he scratched the back of his head, nervously. "I'm sorry, all right? I shouldn't have said that."

"It's not your fault," Tifa said without looking at him. "To tell you the truth...when I think of all the hopelessness right now, I can't help but feel despondent like you. The only thing...the only person that gives me the strength to keep fighting is Cloud. Without him," she looked up with tears in her eyes, "I wouldn't have this strength. Cid, I don't want him to die..."

"He won't!" Cid assured her. "Remember, he promised you, right? He'll come back for sure!"

Tifa glanced over at him and smiled. "Thanks," she sniffed as she rubbed her eyes with her hand. "Oh, and...sorry about hitting you..." she laughed nervously.

Cid waved her concerns away. "Don't worry about it," he joked, "Shera's given me a lot worse than this."

"Speaking of Shera," Tifa commented, "how long until we reach Rocket Town?"

"Bout an hour or so, I guess," Cid replied after having glanced at the timer on the screen. "Why?"

"No reason," came her reply. "I was just curious. But..."

"But what?"

"After we pick up Marlene...what then?"

"Dunno," Cid shrugged. "Barret didn't say where to take her, so I guess she can stay with us."

"I see. Then...after we pick her up, would you mind doing me a-"

"Where to?" Cid interrupted with an exasperated look on his face. "I swear to god, I'm not a damn taxi service, but I'll start chargin' you guys like one if you keep this up!"

"Just a little side trip to Wutai," Tifa pleaded. "Then I'll leave you alone, I promise!"

"Wutai?" Cid repeated with a puzzled look. "Why the hell you wanna go there? Not to visit that brat, Yuffie?"

"Hey, come on, she's not that bad! Besides," Tifa added, "she's a lot different, now."

"Yeah, but...why do you wanna see her?"

"Cause I've been hanging around men too long," came her swift reply.

"Is...that a bad thing?" Cid queried.

"It is if you're a woman."

FFVII

This place...this magical forest that danced through his memories and during his dreams- dreams that always became nightmares- it still held an unwavering command over his emotions. It was here that so many things had been set into motion; things that he would sacrifice anything for in order to forget.

This tree...was the one that he had stood beside when Aeris told him she was going far away. That bush was the place where He came out soon after Aeris had gone. It was the black shadow, a specter of the past that haunted him even to this day. Cloud would, now and forever, belong to Him.

With a determined but steady pace, Cloud slowly made his way through the forest. Ignore the trailing lights that tried to lure you off the path...stay focused on the end in order to make it through...what had happened to travelers unlucky enough to have followed their alluring colors?

The trees abruptly parted, revealing two, towering walls of rock on either side. It was an enormous valley that ran beneath the two peaks of this god-forsaken wasteland. An iridescent glow seemed to shimmer from within the rocks as he proceeded further into the canyon. Their pale blue light did little to divert his attention from his main goal, which was the Forgotten Capitol.

There, the place to where his mind continually wandered, was the city that started him on his journey. Had it been two years? Or four or ten? And did it really matter? This sacred, yet at the same time somehow evil place was where he would meet with Kether.

And now, even as he cleared the final ridge, he could see the outskirts of the city.

The overwhelming sense of nostalgia, grief, and anxiety cause him to stagger, and he reached out a hand to steady himself against a small boulder.

"Here I am," Cloud breathed into the silence of the area. The tranquil houses, though they were in ruins, had remained untouched by decay these past years. The water flowed through the small creeks and rivers, but no sound came from them. That, and the rustling of leaves in the wind was all absent from this place. It was almost as if time did not exist here.

After his dizziness had passed, Cloud began walking down the path towards the entrance of the city.

He had never been here alone before, and the silence began to affect his senses. With nothing or no one to tell him otherwise, Cloud could almost believe that he was the only being in existence- a god that walked among the ruins of a long forgotten race of peoples.

"Kether!" Cloud cried out in an attempt to silence the musings of his mind. "Where are you?"

"I am here," came the man's steady voice as he suddenly appeared next to a house as Cloud was passing by. "I must thank you for agreeing to meet me here. I'm sure you must agree that a noisy ship is hardly the place for a conversation."

"I suppose," Cloud replied half-heartedly as he made his way to where Kether was standing. "But why here? Why this place?"

Kether smiled and looked around at the scenery. "This place holds many powerful memories for you, does it not?"

"Yes."

"Then does it not please you to meet here?"

"No," Cloud replied firmly. "The memories I have of this place are both unwelcome and unsettling."

"I see," Kether rubbed his chin, thoughtfully. "Shall we go for a walk, then?"

Cloud nodded as he blindly followed a half step behind Kether. The man began to amble around the deserted town with no particular destination in mind.

"You came with the intention of asking me a question, did you not?"

"Yes," Cloud spoke up. "You said something on the ship...something I don't understand. You told me that you and I both come from the same place."

"That is true," Kether admitted.

"But I never had a brother growing up, and I know that my mother never remarried before she was killed, so how can that be?"

Kether smiled, knowingly. "You will know in time, but that is not something you should know right now."

"Will you tell me before you kill me?"

Kether glanced over with a perturbed look on his face. "You don't mean to imply that it is your intent to die by my hand?"

"Fine, then," Cloud shrugged. "Will you tell me before I kill you?"

"Perhaps," Kether smiled. "But that is not the only question you have for me, is it?"

"No," Cloud answered. He looked up at the sky and thought back to the time when he had first met this man. It hadn't been too long ago, and yet he already seemed so...familiar. "When we first met, you said that you would do what I could not. That you would save this planet by ushering in the new evolution of mankind."

"Did I, now?" Kether laughed.

"Yes, as a matter of fact you did," Cloud replied, somewhat put off by Kether's behavior. "What did you mean by that? How exactly will you succeed where I supposedly failed?"

"In order to understand that," Kether began slowly, "it is first necessary for you to understand something else, first: namely, that for human beings, death is merely a transition that leads us into our next existence."

"You mean the lifestream?" Cloud posed.

"Yes," Kether nodded. "You certainly have good insight, Cloud. Anyway, you were there, weren't you? Do you remember what it felt like?"

Cloud struggled to remember anything from those days, for they had all seemed such a blur. He remembered...that he was in the Great Glacier...but after that, everything was dark. There was, however, a faint impression that sprouted from the time just before he felt Tifa's presence calling to him.

"I felt...warm," Cloud replied slowly.

"And do you know why?"

Cloud merely shook his head. "But I felt something else, as well...I can't...remember..."

"The planet gives birth to us all," Kether continued. "To return to the planet is to return to the mother's womb- that place of unimaginable warmth and love; the same love that everyone desperately tries to find while they are still yet living. You, yourself, have searched for that love. I can feel it. Yet the only one who can give it is the planet; therefore, all of our struggles to find love in this life are in vain."

"Surely you don't mean..."

"Yes," Kether nodded. "I will bring everyone back to the lifestream, where they will feel the love and joy of the planet."

"Then you intend to kill them," Cloud murmured.

"Kill?" Kether raised an eyebrow. "Tell me this, Cloud: you can destroy the flesh, but anything that is of the spirit remains. Am I truly killing if I am merely returning those longing soles to the one thing that can provide them with comfort? Besides, you make is sound as though I would travel the world slashing people with my sword."

"But shouldn't that be a person's choice that they make on their own?" Cloud countered.

"Would you go against the one who loves you?" Kether replied swiftly. "The planet has already given us her answer. To go against her is to go against the will of the one who is responsible for giving you life in the first place."

"You mean geo-stigma?"

"Exactly," Kether nodded. "The planet is calling for us to return to her. Within her, we will find all of the happiness and love we could ever want!"

"But there's something more...something that drives you to do what you do, Kether," Cloud said softly. "Someone must have told you all of this, and I want to know who."

"Would it make any difference?"

"For me, it would," Cloud answered.

"But you already have an idea?"

"I want to hear it from your own mouth," Cloud told him firmly.

At this, Kether let out a slight chuckle. "You really do want to know, don't you? It was he who helped me when I was lost. It was his guiding hand that brought me to where I am today. From now until the end of time, I serve and will continue to serve the one who loves me, and the one whom I love...the man named Sephiroth."

FFVII

"Miss Tifa!" Marlene shouted excitedly as she leapt up from her position on the floor and ran to embrace the woman.

"Hey there, sport!" Tifa smiled brightly. "Did you behave yourself?"

"Of course!" Marlene grinned.

"Hey, Shera!" Cid bellowed as he stormed in through the front door.

"Hello, Mr. Cid!"

"Oh, hey kid. Shera!" he shouted all the louder.

"Yes, yes, I'm coming!" came her muffled reply.

"Where the hell are you?"

A small panel on the floor shifted slightly and began moving on its hinges. Shera emerged from within with a disgruntled look on her face. Her hair was somewhat matted, and her face was covered with what appeared to be soot.

"What in the world were you doing down _there_?" Tifa cried as she covered her mouth with her hands in a vain attempt to hide her smile.

"Just fixin' stuff," Shera laughed. She turned her attention to the impatient captain and said, "You'll be happy to know that I fixed the rotary blade on the Tiny Bronco."

"Oh," Cid replied simply. "Uh...thanks? I guess..."

"And the left engine," Shera continued, "and I went ahead and replaced the left dorsal fin, too, cause it was lookin' kinda dilapidated."

"Oh, so we can use big words now, huh?" Cid teased before he wandered into the kitchen.

"Um, you may not wanna go in there!" Shera cautioned. "It's kind of a mess!"

"OH MY GOD! What the fuck happened to my FRIDGE!? Where's all the goddamned food?!" came a horrified cry.

"O-kay, time to go now, Marlene," Tifa said as she covered the girl's ears with her palms. "Why don't you go play outside?"

"Cid, I took the coolant out of the fridge and put it into the engine," Shera explained calmly. "It was the only way to get it to work."

"Why the hell didn't you just buy some coolant!?"

"...because you took all of our account cards," came her silly reply.

"W-What the hell kinda answer is that?" Cid cried obstinately. "You have cash! I know you do, because I gave you some before I left!"

"Well, no, y'see I had to use all of that to pay for the party."

By now, Cid's eyes were beginning to bulge, and yet he somehow managed to get his voice under control. "What...party?"

"Oh, it was the sweetest thing!" Shera said gleefully. "Marlene was getting lonely, so I invited all the kids over for a party! Oh, but don't worry! We cleaned up...most of it!"

"Then what have you been eating all this time?"

"Some people came last Monday wearing funny clothes. They said they were from some church, but I don't remember there ever being one in this town...anyway, they gave us some canned peas and corn!"

"Oh, god," Cid groaned.

Tifa burst out laughing at the duo's predicament. Despite a vicious stare from Cid and a sheepish glance from Shera, she was unable to keep it under control.

"Fine, then," Cid replied over Tifa's howling, "here's some gil- go out and buy us some _real_ food. And you might as well get some coolant while you're out, too. I'll be damned if I'm gonna shit peas and corn tonight."

Tifa's guffawing grew impossibly louder and more uproarious.

"I'll do just that!" Shera said excitedly. Snatching the card from his hand, she swiftly exited the home.

"And what the hell is your problem?" Cid queried irritably as he pulled out a much-needed cigarette.

"I-It's just so funny the way you two act when you're together. Hoo-boy, that was a good laugh," she whimpered as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Feeling better?"

"Mmmaybe," she teased. "No, really, I am!" she said defensively when Cid glared at her. "I wouldn't be upset, though. After all, it looks like they had a lot of fun while we were gone."

"Yeah, I guess," Cid reluctantly agreed.

"What? You jealous?"

"Maybe. After all, I almost got killed...what? Three times since I left with you?"

"Just like old times."

"Ah, don't start," Cid complained. "I'm gonna go re-fuel the ship. It's probably better if we don't stay here too long, y'know. We'll let Marlene say her good-bye's, but then it's off to Wutai."

"I understand," Tifa nodded. "The sooner we get there, the better, in my opinion."

"Then it's settled," Cid nodded.

FFVII

"Sephiroth..." Cloud repeated slowly. It shouldn't have come as any big surprise, yet something in the pit of his stomach turned.

"Yes. When I first came to this world, I didn't know who or what I was. I did not even know where it was I had come from. Looking back, it's hard to say what would have killed me first: starvation or the bone chilling cold.

But he came to me and taught me how to live; how to eat and dress, and how to take care of myself. Without him, I would have died a long time ago."

Cloud could only shake his head in frustration. That didn't sound like anything the Sephiroth he knew would do! Surely, He must have some ulterior motive?

"You find it hard to believe, no?" Kether chuckled. "After I was filled with his knowledge, I was left with a very vivid impression of you. It was almost as if he was...afraid of you; however, he also respected you."

"That's impossible!" Cloud shouted through clenched teeth. "With his dying breath he swore revenge against me! The thought of my death was the only thing on his mind!"

"Are you so certain? His impressions are my impressions."

"Then you've been lied to!" Cloud snorted. "Sephiroth was an insane psychopath! He burned my village to the ground and slaughtered the people- my family! He was hell bent on destroying the planet for His own selfish gains!"

The words had barely escaped his lips when Kether was standing beside Cloud with Orchrist pressed dangerously against his throat. The cold fire that burned in Kether's eyes told Cloud that he was perilously close to losing his life.

"Don't," Kether spoke firmly, emphatically, "you _ever_ talk about him that way again. I don't know what you have against him, but I will not have you tarnish his good name with such filth!"

Cloud closed his eyes and mentally shouted in agony. Once again, Sephiroth was bending someone to His will. So pitiful...like looking into a mirror, Cloud saw a reflection of himself- the part of him that wanted to believe in the good of everyone...the part that had died in him that night in the Shinra mansion as the first injections were made into his body.

But what of Sephiroth? What memories had He left inside of Kether? More importantly, what memories had been left out?

"I'll let it pass for now," Kether concluded as he reluctantly withdrew his sword and put it back into its sheath. "But only because you have no chance of defeating me in your current state."

Cloud didn't even hear the words being spoken to him. All he could think of was his renewed hatred of the man who had taken everything from him.

"What about...Aeris?" Cloud asked quietly.

"And who is that?"

Cloud let out a heavy inward sigh. So Sephiroth truly _had _selected certain memories to be omitted. "She was...a very dear friend," he whispered.

Eyeing a small patch of dry grass, Cloud weakly hobbled over to it and sat down.

"What happened to her?" Kether inquired politely.

"She was killed by...I mean she was killed trying to save the planet," Cloud corrected himself. He knew now that it wouldn't do him any good to point the accusing finger at the one responsible.

"You'd think I would have heard of someone so important," Kether replied thoughtfully. "What was her name again?"

"Aeris..."

Kether nodded slightly. "Aeris, hm? That name...somehow seems familiar."

"I've never met another woman like her," Cloud admitted. "And to think that I bumped into her when she was a flower girl in Midgar..."

"Flower...girl?" Kether faltered.

"Yeah," Cloud affirmed. "She sold flowers in Midgar." Kether's left eye seemed to twitch slightly, but Cloud paid it no mind and continued speaking. "Aeris was probably the only one in all of Midgar to sell them, because she raised them herself in an abandoned-"

"Church." Kether interrupted. A horrified look suddenly spread across his face.

"That's right," Cloud replied with a curious stare. "How do you know about that?"

Kether ignored Cloud's question. "W..What the..." he stammered as he gripped his head in his hands. Panting heavily, he fell to his knees and groaned as he pressed his forehead against the ground.

"Kether?" Cloud asked cautiously. It looked as though the man was in extreme pain.

"Why?" he gasped suddenly. "What is the meaning of this!? Her face! I can see her face in my mind! The flower girl from Midgar!"

A terrible cry escaped his lips that penetrated the silence of the Forgotten Capitol and reverberated off of the canyon walls. The sound was so intense that Cloud was obliged to cover his ears with his hands until it abruptly ceased.

Not a word was spoken for a long moment. Kether merely clutched his head in agony as Cloud looked on.

Soon, however, Kether's breathing became calm, and he slowly stood up and looked at Cloud.

"The time has come," he said at last. "It is time for the final battle."

"I understand," Cloud nodded. He reached for his sword, but Kether held up a hand for him to stop.

"You are not yet ready," Kether informed him. "I know you may not realize this, but you are...incomplete. Before the battle can begin, you must collect the pieces of yourself that you have lost. Find them in your heart and mind, and unite them into your being. Only then will you be able to face me."

Cloud's face became one of utter bewilderment. "I don't have a clue as to hat you just said."

"You are not all that you could become. The absence of your personas has caused you to become unstable, and that, in turn, limits your potential."

"My...personas?"

Kether motioned for Cloud to follow him.

Together they entered one of the homes and made their way to the central living area.

"This place," Cloud said quietly.

"This is the place where your memories are the strongest," Kether said as he pointed to the staircase leading down into the darkness. "It is here where we will collect all that you have lost."

Although hesitant at first, Cloud could only follow as Kether began walking down the flight of stairs.

The all too familiar sights and sounds of this underground cavern were extremely unpleasant, but he tried to push them aside. It wouldn't do to come this far, only to return with nothing.

Down, down the seemingly eternal flight of stairs that coalesced into a single, rocky island that jutted out from the water that rippled below. Here, their very footsteps echoed vociferously around the enormous antechamber.

"Come," Kether motioned to Cloud from his position on the middle island. "Let us, once again, ride the waves of your memories."

FFVII

"He is beginning to remember."

"Hmph. It is of no consequence. No matter what happens, there is absolutely no way Kether will disobey my orders."

"But what if Cloud convinces him otherwise? What will you do then?"

"I will merely find another human child. This world is full of their kind, and each one longs to be given a purpose in their life."

"As cold as ever, I see."

"I know you may already realize this, but Cloud has no chance of winning. No matter who wins, when their battle is over, he will be dead..."

"..."

"Now it's my turn to ask _you_: what then? What will you do if Cloud dies?"

"H-He won't die! I'm sure he'll be able to think of something."

"Heh...haha! I can see it in your eyes! You're truly afraid! Why spend so much time fawning over that pathetic excuse for a human being?"

"He's not pathetic! He is what he is because of you and your kind's meddling! And despite that, he's managed to overcome his misgivings about himself and move on towards the future, and that's more than you'll ever be able to do! In my mind, he's ten times the man you could _ever _be!"

"How quaint. I'm sure he'd love to hear those words from you in his afterlife."

"He won't die. I won't allow it."

"But you want to see him, don't you?"

"Of course, but I don't want him to die, either!"

"But wouldn't it be romantic? The hero dies a dog's death, but is reunited with his lover in the ever after?"

"He doesn't love me like that! We both share a bond that goes much deeper."

"Deeper than love? Does such a thing even exist?"

"It does. But you will never know what it is, because you don't know what it means to live for someone else. You've only lived for yourself, and because of that, you died a death even worse than the one you foresee for Cloud: one where no one mourns your passing; a death that brings jubilation to the entire world and its peoples."

"We'll just see whose death is more reprehensible! This play is far from over!"

FFVII

"Just close your eyes," Kether instructed calmly. "This place is tied to your memories. When you are ready, say the word and we'll begin."

Cloud did as he was told. He wasn't exactly sure what Kether meant by his words, but there was a conviction there that belied any sort of hostility. A moment of silence passed between them before Cloud slowly opened his eyes and nodded. "I'm ready," he said firmly.

Kether stepped in front of Cloud and covered his eyes a gloved hand and began chanting a strange mantra. Before Cloud had a chance to even begin to wonder what was being said, there was what seemed to be an enormous explosion in his brain, accompanied by a mind-numbing flash of white.

Letting out a startled gasp, he pushed Kether's hand away, only to find that he had disappeared. Impossibly, the scenery had changed, as well. Instead of being deep in the underground caverns of the Forgotten Capitol, Cloud found himself standing in the laboratory of the Shinra mansion.

"Kether!" Cloud shouted loudly as he whirled around to try and find where he may be hiding. "What the hell did you do?! Why am I back here again?"

"I didn't do anything," Kether's voice echoed in Cloud's mind. "I merely released your consciousness, and this is where you came to first."

"Where are you?"

Kether laughed softly under his breath. "These are your memories, Cloud. I have no form here- merely the voice you've given me in your mind."

"Then what the hell are we doing here?" Cloud demanded. Coming here never ceased to give him a gut wrenching anxiousness.

"This is where one of your personas resides. You should be able to find it if you look around long enough."

Cursing softly, Cloud began to examine the room a bit more thoroughly. For the most part, it seemed to be abandoned. Oddly enough, it seemed that someone had cleaned up, for the books had been meticulously returned to their places on the bookshelf. Beakers that had once lain in shattered ruins on the floor were sitting on a polished table- their colored contents bubbling softly inside.

"It can't be..." Cloud breathed as his heart began pounding in his chest.

Turning around slowly, he stumbled backwards when he saw that, on the table where there had previously been nothing, his motionless body now lay. Attendants were busying themselves by monitoring his condition, and one in particular was preparing a syringe with a pale green liquid inside.

"We have returned to the place where it all began," Kether commented evenly. "Now watch, and see what happens."

Horrified, Cloud looked on as the man, a much younger and more vibrant Hojo, injected his still form with the cells of Jenova. He watched as his own body flinched as the needle punctured his skin, and how he convulsed once the liquid had been injected.

Here, there was an almost imperceptibly loud scream, followed by agonizing groans. A translucent figure manifested itself out of Cloud's comatose body and seemed to hover nearby. However, once it saw Cloud's waking form, it let out a heavy sigh.

The image of the laboratory faded and was replaced with a deep, almost tangible darkness that stretched on into forever.

"You've finally come," it said quietly. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you."

Cloud looked on suspiciously. "You," he said softly. "I know you..."

"As well you should," the figure replied. "You stabbed me with your sword when you first saw me."

Immediately, Cloud thought back to that day when Tifa had mindlessly wandered into the mansion, alone. That sickeningly horrid creature that had been studying her- was the figure floating before him, now, the same thing? But it didn't look anything like it!

"I was born from your unwillingness to accept your solidarity," the figure spoke softly. "As you lay there, on that table, you called out, over and over, for Tifa or someone- even anyone, to come and save you. But no one came. Even now, I feel the grief that welled up within you at that moment."

"Stop it!" Cloud shouted. "You can't be a part of me! You're nothing but a sick, twisted monster!"

"The inability to accept me as a part of you is what caused me to become misshapen and deformed. Your twisted view of yourself in turn twisted the perception with which you witnessed me."

"That can't be!" Cloud shouted all the more loudly. "I've moved on! I'm not the same person I was back then!"

"You are not," the figure countered. "You are who you are because you had the combined strength of your friends to help you. A true man is someone who is willing to walk his path even without the aid of his friends. At least, that is what you keep trying to tell yourself."

"N-no!" Cloud stammered as he stumbled backwards. His footing became uneven, and he fell backwards so that he was now looking up and the shadow. "You! You're the part of me that I hate the most! The part of me that hates to be alone! I don't need anyone to help me through my life!"

"Until you accept the fact that you are not alone, you cannot move on," came the even reply, "and I will be forced to wander in this place for eternity."

"Shut up!" Cloud screamed. Reaching for his sword, he leapt to his feet and swung wildly at the creature, but there was no physical contact to be made.

"Don't you remember what happened the last time?" the figure spoke with a hint of amusement in his voice. "You cannot attack a part of yourself without suffering the consequences."

"Then we'll just die together!" Cloud spat.

"Cloud!" came a disapproving voice.

Spinning around, Cloud stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Aeris standing there shaking her head.

"What are you doing here?" Cloud demanded. "Kether!"

"He cannot hear you in this place," Aeris told him. "This area is the innermost part of your mind- the part that no one may intrude upon. Until you leave from here, he will not be able to communicate with you."

"Then why are you here?!"  
"Because you called me!" Aeris smiled.

Cloud ground his teeth together and clenched his fists. "I did no such thing!"

"You're really cute, you know that?" she teased and she tapped his nose with her finger. "You called me here, and then you won't even admit it! Must be a guy thing."

"No, it's a go-away-and-leave-me-alone thing! I didn't call you here!"

"You did!" Aeris tapped her foot impatiently. "You subconsciously did, because you're feeling scared, and you needed someone to be with you!"

Cloud dropped his sword and sat down on the ground. "Why can't you all just leave me alone? I only came here so I could do this and then fight Kether."

Aeris took a sitting position next to him and pushed his shoulder, playfully. "You're such a whiner. Hey, do you remember what you said after I died?"

Cloud looked away with a scowl. "I don't remember much of anything from that time."

"That night, you asked everyone if they would come with you on your journey. You knew that you couldn't do it alone, and that you needed help. That, and you wanted their company."

"Well you had just died! Of course I would want someone to be around!" Cloud grumbled.

"So why can't you just admit it?"

"It's not that easy."

"Sure it is!" Aeris smiled. Standing up, she pulled Cloud along with her and looked him squarely in the eyes. "Do you love Tifa?"

"W-What kind of stupid question is that?!" Cloud stammered as he blushed and looked away.

"Just a yes or no! You don't want to be without her, do you? You need her, don't you?"

Cloud didn't look at her, nor did he offer a reply.

"The two of you are the same," Aeris continued. "You both draw strength from each other, even if you don't realize it. That's why you need her. You can't imagine what life would be like without her."

"...no," Cloud murmured. "It's true, I...I want to be with her. But now..." he faltered and looked at his hands. "Aeris, I'm not sure...how much time I have left."

"That's not important," she told him. "Just make sure that you use what time is left to you wisely."

"I don't know if I can..."

"But you have your friends, don't you?" Aeris prodded.

Cloud opened his mouth, but didn't say anything at first. After a brief hesitation, though, he nodded and smiled slightly. "Yeah. I have my friends. And knowing that they're my friends will help me, I guess..."

Aeris nodded approvingly before the darkness faded, leaving him standing, once again, in the laboratory.

"So, you've finally come back," Kether remarked dryly. "Took you long enough."

Cloud didn't reply. Something was different...he felt more calm and at peace than he had in a long time.

"There is still another place to go to," Kether's voice told him. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah," Cloud nodded. "Take me there."

"Well, uh..." Kether chuckled slightly. "There's a problem with that."

Cloud raised one of his eyebrows in confusion. "And what might that be?"

"It seems," Kether replied slowly, "that this memory is not something I am able to travel to. Therefore, all I can do is point you in the right direction. When you are ready, return here."

"Okay," Cloud agreed. "Then show me the way."

Kether didn't even reply before Cloud felt himself being hurdled through the air at incredible speeds. Whether or not the movement was physical or mental mattered little, for any type of open air free falling was enough to turn his stomach.

Stopping suddenly, Cloud's first reaction was to rub his shoulders in an effort to warm them. Wherever he was, it was freezing cold!

When his eyes snapped back into focus, though, he recognized it immediately. Now he knew why Kether was unable to come here: there was no way Sephiroth would let him see _this_.

There, standing below him, was Hojo as he looked up at Sephiroth's body that was encased in a sarcophagus of ice.

Not a moment later, and seven familiar faces came running from the entrance towards where Hojo was standing. At first, Cloud couldn't tell what was being said, but soon his ears adjusted and he could make out everything perfectly.

"Hojo, please...give me a number..."

"Miserable failure!" came Hojo's instant rebuttal. "You're nothing but a failure! The biggest scientific mistake of my career!"

Even after all this time, Hojo's words hadn't lost their edge, and Cloud felt their familiar sting in his chest. He watched sadly as his old self's shoulders sagged. With those words, any shred of dignity and self worth that remained had been stripped from him. Having lost what little will power had remained, Cloud then succumbed to Sephiroth's call and returned to Him.

Once more, the image faded into an inescapable darkness, and Cloud found himself staring face to face with another ghostly apparition.

"You," it spoke coldly, "are a miserable person! You were so afraid of being rejected by others that when someone you barely even knew confronted you, you immediately succumbed to your insecurities!"

Cloud winced as if he'd been dealt physical a blow. "It's true," he admitted sadly. "I shouldn't have let him get to me, but...still!"

"Still, nothing! Even afterwards, you continued to live in your own little lie, hoping that the others would never find out about you! That they would never find out how much of a failure at life you are!"

Cloud was at a complete loss for words. Everything that was being told to him was true, and there was very little he could do about it. He'd just arrived, and already things had taken a turn for the worse.

"It may be true what you say," Aeris spoke up suddenly from behind him. "But everyone found out, anyway. They accepted him, and everyone moved on. Cloud no longer lives in his dream. You should do the same."

"If it wasn't for him, I would never even have been born! It's all his fault!"

Suddenly, Cloud looked up at the apparition and said firmly: "I'm sorry."

"You're w-what?!" it laughed loudly.

"I said I'm sorry," he repeated. "I know that I should have been stronger. Please believe me when I say that I never meant for it to get so out of hand, but isn't it good enough that I at least tried?"

"No!"

"Well, now you're just being stubborn," Aeris put her hands on her hips. "Isn't this a quandary, though? I have two guys here who are so afraid of being rejected that they're rejecting each other!"

"I'm not rejecting him! He's rejecting me!" both Cloud and the ghost spoke at the same time, even as they pointed accusing fingers at one another.

Aeris burst out laughing, much to the chagrin of the two males. She soon quieted down, however, and returned to the conversation at hand. "It seems to me," she said merrily, "that there's only one way around this."

"Oh? And what might that be?" the ghost asked sarcastically.

"Okay, you two, are you ready?"

"Yeah," Cloud nodded. "What is it?"

"Okay," Aeris held out her hands dramatically. "Are you two ready? Oh- oh, gosh, this is gonna be soo good!"

"Just tell us already!" the vision blurted out impatiently. "God damn, is this what you had to put up with?"

"Kinda..." Cloud admitted somewhat reluctantly.

"All right, here goes...one, two, three..."

Both Cloud and the ghost crowded around Aeris and waited for her to give her reply. When she did so, it wasn't quite what either of them expected to hear.

"I accept you both!" she said joyfully.

"...?"

"I accept you both, with all of your little quirks and habits, and all of your shortcomings- everything! I accept you two for who you are, and I thank my lucky stars that I got to meet you...while I was alive, anyway."

Cloud and his mirror image exchanged quick glances.

"Well?" Aeris prodded. "How was that? Was it good enough for you?"

"Good enough for me," Cloud shrugged. "What about you?"

"Well..."

"Aw, come on!" Aeris begged. "Please? I'll be your friend forever!"

"All right, all right! Jeez, get over yourself!" the ghost all but shouted.

Aeris' short laughter quickly faded as Cloud felt his mind returning to his body in the underground antechamber.

"Well?" Kether asked after he gave Cloud a few moments to collect himself. "How do you feel?"

Blinking once or twice, Cloud examined his hands and arms slowly. "I feel more...alive," he admitted after a moment. "It's almost as if the power within me has been magnified nearly fifty times..."

"A man who is at peace with himself is more powerful than the fates, themselves," Kether agreed.

So saying, he closed his eyes and whispered his teleportation spell. A swirling mass of energy surrounded Cloud and himself, lifting and carrying them on an invisible plane before it deposited them on a large, grassy field.

"There is no reason to wait any longer," Kether spoke calmly. Looking around slowly, he then nodded approvingly. "An ideal place for the final battle, is it not?"

"Kether," Cloud interjected quickly. "Do we really have to do this? Are you and I truly so different that the only way to settle things is by fighting each other?"

Kether merely shook his head. "I'm afraid it must be so. I feel that I am losing myself in your shadow, and I must complete my task before I am completely eclipsed by you."

"What the hell does that mean?" Cloud blurted out loudly.

"I will see his dreams become a reality, if only to honor his memory," Kether answered simply.


	16. Chapter 16: Final Interlude

It was with little fanfare that the Highwind landed on a rocky patch of earth just outside the sleepy village of Wutai.

After unfurling the long rope ladder, Cid took a moment to stretch and enjoy a cigarette.

"God, I'd forgotten how nice the air is out here," he breathed heavily.

"And just how would you know?" Tifa frowned as he waved her hand in front of her face in an effort to blow Cid's cigarette smoke away.

"Whatever," Cid grunted as he crossed the railing and descended the ladder. Only a short time later and Tifa, along with Marlene, had joined him.

Not surprisingly, more than a few curious villagers were waiting to meet them at the front gates. As it was soon explained to Tifa, airships never flew over Wutai airspace, much less landed in their back yard.

"Tifa!" and excited voice called from somewhere in the small crowd.

"Oh, god," Cid groaned.

"Oh, god, yourself...dumb ass," Yuffie grumbled as she steadily pushed her way forward.

"Hi, Yuffie!" Tifa smiled as she embraced the ninja. "You're not sick anymore, I see."

"Nope. All better!"

"You were sick?" Cid quipped. "Not surprising, seein' as how you're always runnin' around in short shorts and a tank top."

"Mind your own business!" Yuffie shot back. She glanced down and saw a shy little girl quickly move to hide behind Tifa's legs. "Ooh, hiya, Marlene! Wow, you've gotten really big!"

"T-Thanks," Marlene blushed slightly.

"Aw, you don't remember me, do you?" Yuffie cooed.

"I'm not a two year old!" Marlene huffed. "Please don't make that face at me!"

"Oh, yeah? But you're hiding behind your mommy!" Yuffie grinned stupidly.

In reply, Marlene merely stuck out her tongue.

"Okay, okay," Yuffie chuckled. "Let's go inside so we can eat something!"

"Now that's the first sane thing I've heard you say today!" Cid said enthusiastically.

Yuffie ignored his comment and turned around quickly, only to run in to a nearby villager. "Okay, guys," she fumed, "move along! Go on, now! Nothin' to see here!" She animated her argument by waving her arms around rapidly.

Amidst quiet grumbles, the crowd slowly dispersed, allowing Yuffie and her party free access to the pagoda.

"Cleaned up the place pretty good," Cid commented as he glanced around. "Haven't been here in a while, so I guess it's not that unusual."

"Tifa never told you?" Yuffie asked with a disheartened look on her face. "Then she was only pretending to be amazed by my phenomenal leadership skills!"

"T-That's not true!" Tifa stammered hurriedly. "It's just that...well, we've been busy."

Yuffie stopped dead in her tracks and spun on her heels. Reaching up, she grabbed Tifa's shoulders and began to shake the frazzled woman violently. "You mean you all went on an adventure while I was sick and in bed?!"

"Something like that," Cid nodded. "If you count nearly getting killed as being an adventure. Honestly, I don't know what it is with you guys and your fascination with near death experiences!"

"B-But!" Yuffie stammered. Tears welled up in her eyes, and Tifa couldn't tell if they were for real or if the ninja was merely putting on a show. "But you know I love going on adventures with you guys!"

"Yeah, right," Cid snorted. "You just like treasure hunting."

Yuffie's eyes immediately dried up.

"_So they were fake, after all_," Tifa sighed inwardly.

"You, sir," Yuffie cried indignantly as she pointed an accusing finger at him, "are an inbred! You know you all bask in the glowing pleasure of my company!"

"What the hell kinda insult was that?"

"Miss Yuffie meant to say ingrate!" Marlene volunteered happily.

"Er..." Yuffie scratched her cheek nervously. "Excuse me, you two," she said to Tifa and Cid. Bending over, she patted Marlene on the head affectionately and whispered with a wide grin, "You're so sweet! Never do that again, please, okay?"

"Okay!" Marlene nodded.

"Look," Tifa interrupted, "it's not like we went looking for trouble. In fact, it kinda found us."

"Oh yeah!" Yuffie's face brightened. "Speaking of finding things, did you ever find Cloud? I mean, you went up on that mountain and never came back! I mean, I would have gone looking for you, but I figured that you could, y'know, handle anything up there. After all, she did help save the world, along with all the rest of us," she added as an afterthought. Tifa and Cid merely stared at her until she began to feel her temper rising. "Hey, guys, what're you two starin' at, huh?" she fumed. "Do I got something on my face?"

"Dammit, girl, what the hell have you been eating lately?" Cid asked in all seriousness. "You're wound up tighter n' an accountant workin' for Shinra!"

Marlene giggled while Yuffie bashfully twirled a lock of hair between two fingers. "Sorry," she apologized evenly. "It's just that I haven't seen you guys in a while, and...well, I got excited."

"We would've come for you, I'm sure, if we knew you weren't sick anymore," Tifa said in an attempt to soothe Yuffie's cheerlessness. "But yes, I found Cloud."

"Hoo-boy, did she find him," Cid muttered under his breath.

"Really?" Yuffie said excitedly. "How is he doing?"

"He's...doing well," Tifa managed after some thought. "As a matter of fact, we just dropped him off not too long ago."

"Where at?"

"Bone Village," Cid answered her.

A confused look slowly spread across Yuffie's face. "But there's nothing there," she stated. "Why would he wanna go there?"

"He wouldn't tell us," Cid answered truthfully. "He'll be all right, though. He lived in these mountains, didn't he? I wonder how he fixed his hair out there in the middle of nowhere!" Cid laughed all the more loudly when he thought of Cloud sleeping on a pillow of rocks.

"Hm," Yuffie pondered as she pushed open the doors to the pagoda. "You guys make yourselves at home while I go scrounge up something to eat."

"Let us do it for you, m'lady!" two men appeared suddenly in front of her face.

"Oh my GAWD!" Yuffie screeched as she held up her arms in self-defense and cowered slightly. In an instant, however, she had the two men on the ground with their faces pressed against the floor. "Lucious! Antony! I told you two never to do that again!"

"W-We're sorry!" the cried. "Please forgive us!" Straining slightly, they looked up to see two strangers and one familiar looking down at them.

"Oh!" Lucious said loudly. "Miss Tifa! How nice of you to come visit our Yuffie, again!"

"Tifa?!" Antony struggled to raise his own head against Yuffie's grip. "Where?"

"Hey, guys, what's up?" Tifa waved as she knelt down so that they wouldn't have to strain themselves to see her.

"I'm so glad you asked!" Antony replied. "Miss Yuffie has been worried sick about you ever since you went to the mountain! She thought you may have gotten injured...or even worse!"

"Yes!" Lucious agreed quickly. "The wild monkeys up there are none too gentle with strangers! Why, more than once they pelted Yuffie with small rocks until-"

Yuffie quickly raised the two men's heads and then slammed them back down onto the hardwood floor. "You guys, shaddup!" she ordered. "Hey, I've got an idea: why don't _you_ go get us some food?"

"R-Right away, Miss," Lucious said as he and Antony quickly scampered away.

Getting to her feet, Yuffie let out a hollow sigh. "Sorry you guys had to see that," she apologized. "They aren't exactly the brightest bulbs in the bush."

"Huh?" Marlene tilted her head.

"Still," Tifa commented slowly, "something about them...are they...y'know."

"What?"

"W-Well," Tifa stammered. "Well, you _know_...are they..."

"Eunuchs?" Yuffie ventured a guess.

Cid inhaled sharply but then began to cough horribly. "Oh my god, they _are_?!" he wheezed in between rasps.

"No!" Yuffie said with an amused look on her face. "And no, Tifa, they aren't gay."

"Lucious, no!" came Anotny's panicked voice. "The fritters go on the left side of the plate- the _left_! Next to the salad forks!"

"I explicitly remember that the dressing goes there!"

"No it _does not_!"

Cid and Tifa exchanged suspicious glances before they returned their attention to Yuffie.

"If they aren't gay, then what the hell are they?" Cid demanded.

Yuffie winced visibly as loud shrieks and squeals could now be heard coming from the kitchen. "Sometimes," she said with a nervous smile, "it's better just not to ask..."

FFVII

"Well," Cid said with a sigh as he leaned back on the recliner, "whatever the hell they are, they sure know how to cook."

"That was delicious, Yuffie!" Tifa agreed. "I hope you didn't put all of that together just for us?"

"Nah," Yuffie said nonchalantly. "I eat that stuff almost every day."

Both Tifa and Cid's mouths gaped open, but at least Marlene still had control over her voice.

"If you eat like that all the time, you'll get fat," the little girl observed rather astutely.

Yuffie leaped up from her seat in a rage, but calmly and serenely took her place once more when it occurred to her that beating up a little kid in front of guests was not polite.

Nevertheless, she simply couldn't leave it at that. "One little princess," Yuffie remarked glibly, "is getting a rather large and _very _nasty pea under her mattress tonight."

"Yuffie," Tifa warned.

"Okay, okay, fine," the female ninja relented. Suddenly, her features eased up, and she leaned back in her chair. "So," she began steadily, "what brings you back to my humble little village?"

"Well," Tifa began rather half-heartedly. "The reason we came was because I think we're going to need your help with something."

"That's not what you told me," Cid groaned under his breath. He rubbed his temples wearily but decided to stay to hear what exactly it was Tifa wanted the ninja to do.

"Cid, can you please put Marlene to bed?" Tifa asked.

"Dammit!" Cid growled as he angrily got up from his chair. He quickly walked over to Marlene and held out a gloved hand. "C'mon, kid," he said roughly.

"Are you gonna read me a story?" Marlene asked sweetly.

"No!"

"...but, Miss Tifa reads me stories!" the little girl protested.

Once they were in the hallway, Tifa could hear the conversation only slightly less clearly.

"I don't care, I'm not Tifa," came Cid's gruff reply. Unfortunately for him, a few sniffles from Marlene quickly brought him around. "All right, all right, fine!" he relented. "I'll read you a damn story!"

At this point, Tifa couldn't make out anything else, signaling that she could begin speaking.

"I'm going to be completely honest with you, Yuffie," Tifa said quietly. "Cloud's in a lot of trouble. I don't think it isn't anything he can't handle, but still...just in case something goes wrong, I think we should be there to help."

"No offense," Yuffie blurted out with a chuckle, "but Cloud's way, waaay stronger than you and me put together, Tifa. I have a hard time believing that there's something in this world capable of giving him a hard time."

"Look," Tifa countered firmly, "that's what I thought at first, too, but that's not the case. If Cloud doesn't win this next fight, then we're all in deep trouble!"

Yuffie's smile quickly vanished once she realized that Tifa was being deadly serious. "Wait a minute, if Cloud can't even win, then what chance do _we_ have?"

"That's why we need to get as many of us together as possible. Cid's with me all the way, so how about you? You said you wanted to go on an adventure, right?"

"W-Well," Yuffie stammered, "I guess...what about Barret? And Vincent, and Red XIII?"

"Red XIII says he can't leave his village right now because he's their new guardian."

"That's so lame!" Yuffie blurted out.

"Look, that's the way he feels, so just forget about it."

Yuffie's eyes grew a bit wider with excitement. "Then what about Barret?"

Tifa opened her mouth, but no words came out at first. "Yuffie," she said even more softly, "you know about Geo-stigma, don't you?" Yuffie nodded, but didn't say anything. "Well...someone in Corel...died from it."

"WHAT?!"

"Shh!" Tifa whispered fiercely as she held up a finger to her lips. "Quiet!"

"That's bull shit, Tifa, bull shit!" Yuffie seethed quietly. She took a few steady breaths to calm herself before she asked: "Is it contagious?"

"We don't know, yet," Tifa shook her head. "Fortunately, I don't think any of us has it, so we're probably fine. Needless to say, though, Barret's not goin' anywhere for a while."

"I see," Yuffie nodded in understanding. "So if Cloud loses, it's just you, me, and that jackass? No, wait, what about Vincent?"

"He's...disappeared," Tifa admitted reluctantly. "He was on the ship with us, but he vanished before we got to Rocket Town to pick up Marlene."

"So it really is just the three of us," Yuffie said somberly. "The we'd better hope to God that Cloud doesn't lose."

"I know," Tifa agreed.

"Miss Yuffie!" came a startled voice.

"Yes, Lucious, what is it?" Yuffie asked as she looked up.

The door slid open and both Lucious and Antony came stumbling in. "Miss Yuffie," Lucious continued, "something's wrong! In the northern sky!"

"Huh?" Yuffie raised an eyebrow. Getting to her feet, she quickly moved to a window and threw open the shudders. A pale green light permeated the room as she did so, but that was the least of Yuffie's concerns now. "W-W-What the f-fuck?!" she cried as she stumbled backwards. She bumped into a small chair as she did so, and it sent her falling squarely on her back, yet she couldn't take her eyes off the window.

"Yuffie, what is it?!" Tifa exclaimed as she moved to the window. She let out a startled gasp and took a step back.

There, hovering over the northern sky was the most enormous, oppressively black storm cloud she'd ever laid eyes on. Bright flashes of lighting seemed to course through it like veins, but what caught her eye even more was the source of the green light.

"Lifestream!" Tifa whispered softly. "It's starting..."

"What do you mean? Why is the lifestream coming out again? What's happening?!" Yuffie shouted.

"The final battle," Tifa breathed lifelessly. "It's starting."

"We're all doomed!" Antony moaned as he covered his head with his arms.

"Ggrr, stop that!" Yuffie demanded as she pushed him aside. "Tifa, come on! We have to get to the Highwind!"

Tifa seemed to be mesmerized by the awful sight that spread out before her.

"Tifa!" Yuffie called again. "Come on! We have to go!"

"I'm coming," Tifa said slowly as she reluctantly tore her eyes away from the sight. "Cloud, please," she said under her breath. "Be all right...for me..."

"Cid!" Yuffie bellowed as she ran through the halls. "Get your ass in gear! It's show time!"

"Bring Marlene along, too!" Tifa added.

"Are you insane?!" came Cid's voice as he threw open the bedroom door. "If there's danger, then-"

"The safest place she can be is with us," Tifa finished his sentence for him. "Now come on!"

After racing through the village streets and out the front gates, through the prairies and up the rope ladder, the group nearly felt ready to collapse from exhaustion, but they pushed on.

Cid raced to the cockpit and quickly began the launch procedure. "Yuffie," he said over the intercom, "stay with Marlene. She doesn't know what's going on, so try to keep her from freakin' out, okay?"

"Roger!" Yuffie saluted as she took the blissfully groggy girl from Tifa's arms and ran to the nearest bedroom, shutting the door behind her as she went.

By the time Tifa arrived at the bridge, the Highwind was in the air and headed straight towards the massive storm.

"Damn!" Cid raged. "If I'd known he was gonna start something like this, I never would have let him go!"

Tifa, for her part, couldn't help but stare at the colossal disturbance. "Look at it, Cid," she said without attempting to hide her fear. "Look at the power they're drawing from the planet. Those two are on a playing field that belongs to them, alone. Cid...if Cloud dies...we won't stand a chance. We'll be as good as dead, too."

"So what else is new..."

"Do you really think...he can stand up to that?" Tifa asked with a trembling lower lip.

"Hey," Cid growled, "that's Cloud's power showing itself, too, don't forget. We'll get there in time to help him, don't you worry! Look, we're coming up on it now!"

"No, w-wait!" Tifa cried, but it was too late.

The Highwind plunged into the outer rim of the huge storm, but even that was enough to send the tiny craft spinning towards oblivion.

"G-God dammit!" Cid grunted as he struggled with the controls. "What the hell kinda storm is this?!"

"Cid, get us outta here, or we're gonna be killed!"

"I'm t-trying!" Cid bellowed. All of the dials and meters on his control panel were spinning, now, and were completely useless; they could be flying straight towards the ocean for all he knew!

There was a burst of static from the intercom, and Yuffie's piercing voice came ringing through loud and clear: "What in god's name is going on? Cid! Are you trying to fucking kill us!"

"Shut your goddamn mouth!" Cid shot back. "I'm doing the best I can!"

"Your best isn't good enough!"

Cid was about to reply when he heard Tifa shriek.

His head darted to where she was standing, and he nearly let out a startled cry, himself. Hovering directly in front of Tifa's face was a pale, green tendril of the lifestream. It did nothing but sway gently in place, as if it were examining her.

"Tifa!" Cid shouted. "Are you all right? Tifa! What's going on?!"

Tifa could only stare in wonder. She was so close to the lifestream right now she could reach out and touch it if she wanted to. Her hands moved to try and grasp the tiny vein, but it ducked out of her reach and bobbled a few half steps away.

Tifa's eyes suddenly widened in recognition. "Aeris?" she gasped loudly.

"What?!"

"Aeris?! Where's Aeris?" Yuffie's voice demanded.

The tendril began weaving back and forth before it receded back out into the storm.

"Cid!" Tifa shouted. "I don't care what you have to do, but follow that light!"

"You bet your ass I'm gonna follow it!" Cid said through clenched teeth. "Not like I have much of a choice, now, do I? But hey, if that's really Aeris helpin' us out there, then I think we've got a real chance to make it through this thing!"

Tifa nodded and returned her gaze to the front view port. "_Hang on, Cloud_," she thought earnestly. "_We're on our way to help you_! _Just hang on a little longer_!"


	17. Chapter 17: The Last Battle

"Now," Kether spoke evenly as he slowly reached for his weapon. "Take your sword in hand, Cloud Strife. This is it. I won't hold back this time, so I suggest you do the same...if you want to live."

The way in which he spoke rather unnerved Cloud, for it was almost as though the thought of death held no power over him.

Feeling far from calm, Cloud reached for his sword and slowly readied it. Fortunately for him, the familiar heft of his blade helped to ease his tension. The last time he fought Kether, it was in hand to hand combat, and Cloud felt confident he would fare better in his own area of expertise.

That did not, however, disqualify the possibility that Kether was as lethal with a sword as he was with his hands. Swallowing hard, Cloud planted his feet firmly on the ground and waited for Kether to make the first move.

It seemed that Kether had the same idea. He was certainly no fool- that much was certain. Having never personally seen Cloud's swordplay, it was only natural that he would be more cautious; however, when neither of them took the opportunity to deal the first blow, he let out a steady sigh.

"It seems we are at an impasse," he observed confidently.

"There's still time," Cloud said with a pleading tone. "We can both walk away right now- go our separate ways."

Kether smiled sadly. "You know, I almost wish..." he trailed off slightly before continuing, "...that it could be so. You're a bit misguided, Cloud, but deep down you're a good person. It's such a shame that it has to be this way."

"Don't patronize me," Cloud declared loudly. "You aren't so bad yourself, Kether, but if you fight me, that's not gonna keep me from killing you."

"That's good!" Kether replied with a show of energy in his voice. He quickly readjusted his sword in his hands. "That's the energy we need to get started! Get ready, Cloud!"

In reply, Cloud held his sword out in front of him- ready to take whatever defensive posture he needed.

Kether took a running step forward, but immediately vanished from sight.

"Shit!" Cloud growled. He'd forgotten how fast the kid was!

He turned around just in time to see Kether make a vicious swing towards his face, but he was able to bring his own weapon to bear in time to deflect the blow.

But Kether was unrelenting in his assault. He brought his weapon down once more, and Cloud was barely able to manage blocking it in time.

"_Damn, if this keeps up, I'm a goner_!" Cloud thought desperately to himself. He quickly leapt backwards, causing Kether's forward momentum to send him tripping forward slightly. Rather than using this opportunity to attack, though, Cloud closed his eyes briefly and stimulated the lifestream that flowed within his veins. His vision blurred slightly, but his eyes quickly adjusted to the new perception.

Kether certainly wasn't lying when he'd told him that his performance had been limited. He felt that he was now merely scraping the surface of his true potential! Feeling a bit more confident now, he held his sword up once more, ready to face whatever came next.

A swing from Kether's sword, though, quickly reminded him that no matter what he did, Kether would probably be able to match it. But at least now they were on par with one another.

Using his new speed boost to his advantage, Cloud quickly deflected an attack from Kether and pushed the man's sword aside with his own. Shifting his feet slightly, he turned his body to the side and rammed into Kether's chest with his shoulder. The force of the blow sent Kether soaring backwards, but he quickly rolled upon impacting the ground and quickly got to his feet.

It had to of hurt, but Kether showed no sign of pain. As soon as he was on his legs again, he dug his feet into the earth and propelled himself forward with his sword held ready to stab Cloud through his heart.

The two swords clashed together with enough force to cause a small shockwave that scattered the small leaves and rocks that were strewn about. Growling lowly, Cloud and Kether stood half a step apart, face to face, each trying to gain dominance over the other. In between them, their swords seemed to come alive, both of them crackling and hissing with an energy that had been spurred to life from within.

Cloud moved one of his arms from the hilt of his sword to the flat edge of the blade so that he could press down with greater force. At first, it seemed to be working: Kether's eyes narrowed, and he let out a heavy pant as he desperately redoubled his efforts to stave off Cloud's assault.

It was no use- the force was simply too great. With an irritated snarl, Kether's eyes became fierce as he let out a disparaging cry. There was a brief gust of wind that surrounded them both, but immediately Cloud realized that Kether had somehow just doubled his physical strength- with one arm, Kether managed to pushed him back with enough force to throw him off balance.

Though they were now pushed apart, Cloud could vividly see a trickle of blood flowing from Kether's nose and left eye. Only at this moment did Cloud realize why Kether had seemed to calm before the beginning of the battle.

When Aeris had been teaching him how to utilize lifestream, she warned him that prolonged use or excessive stimulation would blur the distinction between the physical and metaphysical aspects of the flesh, effectively dissolving the body's form. Kether had been so calm because he had been prepared to sacrifice everything in order to win this battle- even his own life.

The damnable thing about it was that Cloud would now have to follow Kether's example if he wanted to be able to survive.

Summoning the powers within him, Cloud let out a startled choke as he did so. His mind seemed to be reeling, and he could feel his organs twisting in pain. The distinctive taste of blood made its way into his mouth, and all the sounds coming from his left side suddenly became silent- probably a ruptured eardrum.

Nevertheless, the results were all he could've hoped for. When Kether made a move to attack him, Cloud brought his own sword to bear and met the blow with equal vigor.

Their swords now sparkled with blue and yellow energy that fluttered between the two blades whenever they passed near one another. They must've been receiving the effects of the lifestream's activity, too. Just as well, though, because under normal circumstances, Cloud was almost positive his sword would've already been snapped in two.

Now whenever their blades met the earth seemed to shake to its very core, and their clashing was as loud as thunder. The skies around them had turned black as night, and the wind howled around them as if to signal the end of the world. Things here were getting way out of hand. Who knew what kind of damage might because if they continued at this pace? What Cloud needed now was a plan.

One thing he'd noticed about Kether was that whenever one of his blows were deflected he always brought the sword back to a vertical position- most likely in order to be able to deflect an oncoming counter attack.

Of course, Cloud recognized this stance immediately. When he was training under Sephiroth all those years ago, he'd see him use that move on some of the other soldiers. When Cloud later asked Him about it, Sephiroth had confided to him that the stance, although useful in most circumstances, had one critical flaw: if one were to use it when an attack was merely a feint, then he would be wide open to an assault from both the left and right sides. As Sephiroth had explained it, an earnest attack would be too difficult to maneuver into a two-pronged assault, hence the vertical stance.

It was almost ironic. That same flaw would be used against one of His own pupils.

Cloud wasted no time in setting up his attack. He quickly dealt one blow after the other, all of which Kether effortlessly blocked with his sword. Each time, however, he briefly visited that same stance before he shifted to guard against another one of Cloud's attacks. If everything went well...

"_Now_!" Cloud thought desperately to himself.

He brought his sword back briefly and swung it widely, but only with minimal effort. Kether, of course, brought his own weapon around to guard against it, but when they made contact, Cloud's Buster sword merely bounced off of Kether's.

Instinctively, Kether brought his sword back to that same vertical stance, but his eyes widened in shock as soon as he'd realized his mistake.

Cloud still had enough control over his sword so that he was able to v-step to the side and, using the forward momentum of his movements, brought his weapon to bear in a horizontal slice that would've cut Kether in two had he not jumped out of the way just in time.

"Gah!" Kether cried out as he clutched the enormous gash in his side. He staggered backwards and stuck his sword into the ground so that he could rest on the hilt.

Cloud felt a great swell of happiness at his success, but his vision soon became blurry, and his hands, oddly, could no longer support the weight of his sword as it clattered to the floor.

In shocked disbelief, he slowly looked down at his own side and saw the same cut that he'd just given to Kether.

"N-No...way," Cloud gasped as he looked over to the smiling youth. "I-It...impossible..."

"Believe it, C-Cloud," Kether winced as he laughed slightly. "So now you know, don't you? All this time...it was you. I have come from you, Cloud."

Moaning slightly, Cloud's feet collapsed under him and he fell to his knees.

"Funny, isn't it?" an eerie voice cooed suddenly.

Cloud's eyes widened at the sound. Glancing up, he let out a startled gasp when he found himself staring into those same, unnatural green eyes from his nightmares.

"S-Sephiroth!" he breathed. "W...W-What are you doing here?!"

"You have crossed the threshold," Sephiroth told him with a slight grin. "Your body is beginning to become incorporated into the lifestream as a result of your constantly using it."

Kether painfully straightened himself and limped over to stand at Sephiroth's side. "You see now, Cloud, how you can never win," he spoke sympathetically. In a way, he seemed...almost sad. "Because I am a part of you, there is no way for you to win this fight. If you kill me, then you will die, as well."

Cloud's eyebrows lowered in anger. "Then if you kill me, you'll die, too, won't you?" he spat.

"No," Sephiroth said with a slow shake of his head. "Kether has come from you. You are tied to him as much as you are to any part of your body, but he is completely independent of you. He will not suffer in any way by taking your life."

Cloud tried to swallow, but his throat was too dry. So this was it. This was the end for him. If there was no way he could win, then what was the point in even trying?!

"Don't think like that, Cloud!" Aeris warned him.

Sensing her presence behind him, Cloud turned to see Aeris appear from thin air and kneel down beside him. Her arms rested reassuringly on his shoulders, but her voice remained firm. "Don't forget, you aren't just fighting for yourself. You're fighting for the entire human race!"

"You stay out of this!" Sephiroth bellowed. "Don't you see that it's completely useless? No matter what Cloud does, he will die, and the human race will be wiped off the face of the planet! Kether! Now is your chance! Kill him!"

Kether did not respond. His eyes were completely fixated on Aeris, as if he were in a trance. "I...it's you," he breathed softly. "Aeris...the flower girl, I know you!"

Aeris looked over at him with her piercing green eyes and nodded. "I know you, too, Kether. I've known you for a long time."

"You're the one that I see in my dreams," Kether spoke even more softly. "You're always crying, Aeris..."

"Kether!" Sephiroth spoke roughly. "What do you think you're doing?! Don't tell me you're going to quit now! Not when you're so close!"

"But...Sephiroth! What is going on? How can I know her? I...can't remember ever hearing of her from you!" he cried as he clutched his head. "You...what Cloud told me...Sephiroth, have you...lied to me? Have you been lying to me all this time?!"

"Kether..." Aeris spoke softly.

"It doesn't matter!" Sephiroth all but shouted. "I've raised you like one of my own! It was for this moment that I trained you, and I will not allow you to fail me here! Now fight! Kill him!"

Kether looked over at Aeris once more with tears in his eyes. He also looked down at Cloud, who had remained silent this whole time. "W-What...? Sephiroth, I trusted you! You were all I knew! You were my _life_! I would've done anything for you, and yet you lied to me!" His skin began to shine with a pale green light, but his rage continued on. "What do I believe in now?! Without you, what is there to believe in?!" With an inhuman cry filled with all of the rage, pain, and bitterness of one who is completely lost, Kether allowed himself to fully succumb to a majority of the lifestream's influence.

"Kether, stop!" Aeris cried. "You're going to kill yourself!"

"So what if I die?!" Kether screamed. "I'm going to fulfill my mission! But not for Sephiroth! No, I'm going to do it for myself! Because it was a decision that I made on my OWN!"

He leaped high into the air and siphoned all of his energy into his hands- energy from the lifestream, even his own life source- all of it, until he had the makings of an enormous green sphere. "Look at me, Sephiroth!" he cried indignantly. "By the time I'm finished with this place, there won't be a planet left for you to conquer!!"

"Uh-oh," Aeris said nervously. "C'mon, Cloud, no time to rest, yet! Get to your- _oomph­_- feet!" she shouted as she pulled Cloud up.

Even from here, Cloud could sense the enormous amount of energy that Kether had brought to bear against him. "A-Aeris, there's no way I can survive this!"

"You have to!" Aeris ordered. "It's for the good of everyone and everything!"

Kether didn't even give Cloud a chance to respond. Moving faster than the human eye could see, he flew down and, with all of his might, pressed his final attack against Cloud's body.

"Agh!" Cloud cried as he raised his hands in a vain attempt to catch it in his palms. The searing pain that shot through his arms was almost more than he could bear, but he somehow managed to endure it. "K-Ketheer!" he growled lowly. "I'm not gonna let you have your way!"

"You don't have a choice!" he replied with a hollow laugh. "Either way, I win!"

"Tsch!" Cloud grunted as he felt a surge in Kether's attack. Probably because of all the excess energy in the atmosphere, his mind flashed back to when he was submerged in the lifestream. All of those feelings from before, even the ones he had subconsciously forgotten came flooding back into his mind. "I remember now!" he suddenly shouted above the noise. "I remember that other feeling I had when I was in there- in the lifestream!"

"Like that even matters?"

Cloud ignored his comment and pressed on. "I remember feeling warm, but I wa also afraid! I was afraid because I felt like I was losing myself in the memories of others! Kether, before I couldn't quite put my finger on what was wrong with your idea, but now I know: even if a person seems content and happy in the lifestream, if you aren't yourself, then who's to say that _you_ are really the one who's happy?! You might as well be dead, anyway!"

"Who cares?!" Kether cried indignantly. "That's where you're all going, anyway!"

"It's not!" Cloud shouted all the louder. "I understand now that it's not all about me! Yeah, I had some problems, but so does everyone else! It's time I took a stand and fought for others, just like I did before!" Cloud's own skin began to shine with a pale, green light as he spoke. "That's why I'm willing to put my life on the line, as well! But unlike you, I'm going to risk my life in order to save others, not destroy them!"

Kether clenched his teeth as he strained to withstand the renewed strength of Cloud's countering force. He felt himself slowly losing ground, though, and there was very little he could to do alter that.

"This is nonsense!" Sephiroth spoke up wildly. Appearing by Kether's side, Sephiroth held out his hands and added his own energy to the already massive sphere.

Cloud let out a painful cry as his gloved palms began smoking, and the flesh began peeling off the surface of his arms. He would've succumbed to the massive affront not half a second later if Aeris had not leaped to Cloud's side to help counter Sephiroth's intervention.

"C-Cloud!" Aeris shouted. "Do something! Everyone's gonna die unless you do something!"

"He's still holding back!" Kether laughed wildly. "He knows that if I die, then he will die along with me! I told you before: there is no way for you to win against me! Ha hahaaa!"

Cloud closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. His heart was beating so fast that it seemed about to leap out of his chest. All of his emotions that he had carried inside of himself welled up within him and threatened to spill over.

"_Tifa_," he thought to himself. "_What...should I do? Vincent...do you have an answer for me? Could Barret or Cid say anything to help me? Am I ever gonna see Red XIII's village or Yuffie's smile again? No, I can't think like that...I made a promise just now...am I really willing to sacrifice myself in order to save others?_"

The thought of Tifa laughing in her bar with Marlene standing close by; Red XIII and Yuffie standing proudly at their village gates; the thought of Barret studying his research and Cid enjoying a little free time with Shera, and Vincent living the life he could not two years ago...surely those were all something worth sacrificing your life for? Not only for them, but the rest of humanity as well?

Cloud opened his eyes slowly and let out an even sigh.  
"Kether," he spoke calmly. "It's over for you."

His body's green light shifted to become a dazzling white that seemed to envelope everything around him.

"W-What?!" Kether cried in disbelief. He could feel Cloud surrender himself totally to the lifestream, and in turn his powers were magnified beyond anything that was humanly possible.

"Cloud, no!" Sephiroth shouted. "What are you doing?!"

"Something I should have done a long time ago," Cloud answered. "Sephiroth, I'm going to die here, but I will never forgive you for what you've done to Kether or myself. You've used others your whole life, and for that...there can be no forgiveness."

Impossibly, the white light grew even brighter, and the energy Kether had gathered was immediately repelled back at him, encompassing him in all of its destructive power. With a terrified cry, his body quickly disintegrated until nothing but smoldering ashes remained.

Cloud nodded approvingly before he felt his own body begin to fade. At least he would die knowing that he'd make the right decision. A single tear trickled down his face, and his last thoughts were of Tifa, and how she would be so mad at him for not being able to keep his promise.

FFVII

Cloud felt that he should've become one with the lifestream, and yet he was not. He hovered somewhere between life and death- a place he had never been to before. Looking up slowly, he saw Kether's body floating aimlessly in the empty space before him.

"You actually did it," came Kether's mellow voice. "You truly are amazing."

"What other choice did I have?" Cloud confessed slowly. "I know that I didn't want to die, but surely one life is nothing compared to all of humanity?"

"Heh," Kether laughed softly. "You were right all along, Cloud," he said sadly. "I could have listened to you, but I chose to blindly follow only that with which I was familiar. In the end, my naïveté was what killed us."

"You're not the only one who's like that," Cloud told him firmly. "Don't blame yourself."

"I wish I could, but if it wasn't for me, I'm afraid none of this would have happened."

"I don't blame you," Cloud argued. "I know what it's like to be under Sephiroth's spell, so I can empathize with you."

"Ignorance doesn't exclude you from being guilty, Cloud," Kether replied sadly. "But...there is one thing I can do for you, if you'll let me..."

"What's that?"

Kether closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I was born that same night that you were injected with Jenova's cells. I was the part of you that wanted to reject all of the sorrow in life...the part that wanted everyone to be happy all the time. I know now that it was merely a foolish dream. Life on this planet is never easy, and hardly ever happy, and yet...I wanted it to be that way more than anything. So much so, that I was willing to do anything. Cloud," he whispered, "if you can find it in your heart to forgive me...I would like to join with you once more. You were the man I was looking for, all along. The one I could look up to and follow after. The man I could never be."

"Don't say that," Cloud told him. "None of us are perfect, much less me. I mean, I've made a lot of mistakes in my life as well...but if you want to come back, I would be honored to have you as a part of me again."

"Really?" Kether smiled. His face was a mixture of joy and sorrow. "Thank you, Cloud. I will assimilate myself with you, and then I will use this blade," he said as he withdrew his sword from it's scabbard, "Orchrist, to revive you. I will unseal all of the lives that have been taken by it and use them to bring you back to life. How does that sound to you?"

Cloud heaved a heavy sigh of relief, yet a slight smile played across his face. "I think that sounds like a good idea," he smiled.

"Good," Kether nodded. "Cloud, can you do me one more favor?"

"Hm?"

"When you get back...can you please tell Tifa that I'm sorry?"

Cloud nodded slowly. "Yeah, sure, pal. I'll tell her."

FFVII

"Cloouud!" Tifa shouted with her hands cupped against her mouth. "CLOUD! Where are you?!"

"There's nothin' around for miles!" Cid gasped. "What the hell were they doing?!"

"They were goin' all out, that's what!" Yuffie commented as she experimentally tapped a black plant with her shoe. It disintegrated as soon as she did so, eliciting a slight shiver from her. "Boy, I'd hate to be on the receiving end of _that_."

"Guys, we're supposed to be looking for Cloud!" Tifa complained. She turned around once more and proceeded to belt out his name at the top of her lungs.

"T-Tifa," came a weak voice.

"Cloud?!" she shouted as she ran in what she thought was the right direction. She skidded to a halt when, as she came around the corner of a large boulder, she saw Cloud lying, face down, on the ground. His clothes were horribly burned and they had holes everywhere, yet his skin had somehow remained completely undamaged. "Cloud!" she cried as she ran over to him. "Cloud are you all right?!" She rolled him over and cradled his limp body in her arms.

"T-Tifa," he smiled as he looked up at her face. "I never thought I'd see you again. I'm so...happy."

Tifa let out a choked laugh that was cut off by a short sob. "Cloud! Don't you ever scare me like that again!" she ordered as she cried into his hair.

"Hey, don't worry. I always keep my promises, right?" he said in a half-hearted attempt at humor.

"Yeah," Tifa nodded with a smile. "You big, spiky headed jerk."

"Cloouuuwwed!" Yuffie cheered as she spotted him and ran over to where he lay. "You're alive! Hey, you know you should call every once in a while to let people know you're all right! This is the first time I've seen you in ages and you look half dead!"

"Better than all the way dead," Cid speculated as he came up and stood beside her. "Hey, Cloud, what happened?"

"It's over," he smiled. "We're all gonna be all right."

Cid and Yuffie let out whoops of delight as they danced around merrily on the barren battlefield. Tifa continued crying on Cloud's head, but that was all right with him. After all, they were alive.

"_Aeris_," he thought to himself. "_My battle isn't over yet. I don't know how much time I have left, but don't worry. I'm gonna spend the rest of my life on this planet...living_."


	18. Chapter 18: The Journey's End

"Boy, it's good to be back," Yuffie stretched as she waltzed over to an empty chair and sat down.

"It's not like you did anything," Cid chuckled to himself. "Well, I take that back...you did give us a good meal."

"You are _so _mean to me!" Yuffie pouted. "Cloud, make him stop being mean!"

"Cid, stop being mean!" Tifa spoke up quickly. "And Yuffie, leave Cloud alone. He needs to rest."

"Tifa, really, I'm okay," Cloud said as he attempted to get out of the bed Tifa had placed him in. The Highwind had arrived in Wutai not fifteen minutes ago, and she had immediately rushed him to the pagoda so that she could hurl him into a bed...maybe a bit more forcefully than she'd intended to.

"Yeah, right," she countered. "If you make another move, I'm gonna have Cid tie you down to the posts."

"Okay, okay," Cloud sighed in defeat. "Geez, after all I've been through, you think I could win an argument with a lady."

"Get used to it, kid," Cid commiserated as he placed an arm around Cloud's shoulders. "Once you let 'em get a hold of you, they're like roaches. You can yell and scream and fight 'em all you want...but they stick around, anyway."

"I can _not_ believe you just compared half the planet's population to roaches!" Yuffie screamed in the pilot's face.

"Cloud doesn't think that! Right, Cloud?" Tifa asked as she glanced down at her bedridden friend.

"Um..." Cloud smiled nervously as he scratched the back of his head.

Tifa's eyes widened in shock, but she quickly regained her composure and let out an innocent laugh. "Vee-ry funny, Cloud. Let's go, Yuffie. We'll leave the _boys_ to themselves," she huffed as she got to her feet and went to the door.

"Yeah!" Yuffie agreed hastily. "But you know something about cockroaches, Tifa? They always get to the good food, first!"

"W-What?!" Cid cried in disbelief.

"Yeah, you heard!" Yuffied declared triumphantly. "Tifa n' I get first dibs on the food tonight! Oh, and Marlene, too, cause she's a girl!"

"That's not fair!" Cid argued as he followed the two women out of the room. Even though they were in the hall, Cloud could still hear the three of them squabbling.

Laughing quietly to himself, he decided that if he was going to be stuck in bed, he might as well get a good nights rest. Heck, he could barely remember the last time he slept in a _real _mattress with a _real _pillow!

Rolling on to his side, he tugged the covers up to his chin, closed his eyes, and quickly fell asleep.

The next morning, the four friends and little girl returned to their parked ship, albeit under much more relaxed circumstances than when they'd left. They spent the time laughing; catching up on old times- generally goofing off and having fun, which was something they'd had very little opportunity to do as of late.

Admittedly, Tifa spent most of her time observing Cloud. Being the thickheaded person he was (which only made her love him all the more), he didn't even notice her long stares, though under the circumstances she couldn't really blame him. There were a few subtle differences about him, though. When and where the change had actually taken place, she could not say, but the fact remained that he was different somehow. He walked with an easy air, and he kept his head raised high, rather than keeping his face lowered. Cloud still remained somewhat quiet and aloof, but whenever he looked at her, his eyes conveyed all of the emotions that his face so desperately lacked. It was as if he had merely forgotten what it was like to express his feelings, thereby forcing them to emerge from his eyes.

Speaking of which, they no longer held that cold, hard and vacant stare that she was so accustomed to seeing. They now shone with an even greater vibrancy, if such a thing were even possible. Where they had once been so lifeless and dull, they now sparkled brighter than any star in the sky.

All together, Cloud exuberated an air of confidence and tranquility, and the impression was very...appealing, to say the least.

"Hey," Yuffie whispered to Cid as she pulled him slightly to the side. "Check out Tifa! She's eyin' Cloud so bad! Look, she's even blushing!"

"Hn," Cid grumbled. "Cloud's thicker than Shera's coffee. Tifa's gonna have a hard time getting his attention."

"I don't really think so," Yuffie argued. "Whenever Tifa's not lookin', Cloud steals a glance at her, too!"

"Hey!" Cloud spoke up quickly. "What are you two talking about over there?"

"N-Nothing!" Yuffie and Cid smiled together.

As they approached the ship, though, their conversation became more somber.

"You guys promise to come and visit me again soon, don't you?" Yuffie asked hopefully. "Cause, y'know, I'm kinda stuck here. Unless you feel like unearthing another planetary disaster- cause then I can make an exception!"

"I'm through with adventures," Cid declared solemnly. "I'm just gonna kick back and relax. I ain't so young anymore, y'know."

Tifa nodded in agreement. "I think I'm ready for a break from that stuff, too, Yuffie. But I do promise to come and visit you as soon as I can. Marlene will, too, won't you?"

"I'll see you soon, Miss Yuffie!" Marlene sniffed slightly.

"Well..." the ninja hesitated. "I guess as long as you promise. What about you, Cloud? You gonna be a stranger?"

"I'll come visit you, too," Cloud spoke with a slight grin. "You can teach me how to throw a shuriken or something."

"I'll hold you to that!" Yuffie warned as she reached out and squeezed Cloud in an embrace. She did the same thing for Tifa and a reluctant Cid before they said their final goodbyes. But as Tifa and Cid ascended the ladder to the ship, Cloud stayed behind.

"Hm? What's up, Cloud?" Yuffie asked. "Did you forget something?"

"Not quite," Cloud said seriously. He walked over to her and pressed something into her hands. Leaning close to her, he whispered, "This is my PHS. I want you to hold on to it, okay?"

"What for?!" Yuffie asked in an excited whisper.

"You said you would help us out if there was any trouble, right?"

"W...Wait a second, just what are you saying?" she demanded.

Cloud glanced up to make sure that Tifa and Cid were out of earshot before he continued. "Yuffie, it's not over yet," he stated simply. "This battle is over, but I can still feel the tension emanating from the planet. Something else is coming, Yuffie. Something much bigger and more dangerous than ever, and it's going to take all of our combined strength in order to survive."

"Is...that why you agreed to help Tifa hone her skills?"

Cloud nodded. "But that doesn't mean you can't help us, too. Yuffie, I don't think you even realize how powerful you truly are."

"You really mean that?" she asked with a slight sparkle in her eyes.

"Of course I do!" Cloud laughed. "So try keep that phone close to you all times, just in case, okay?"

"Right!" Yuffie saluted enthusiastically.

Cloud chuckled and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Good to hear, Yuffie. Well, until we meet again."

As Cloud turned to ascend the ladder, he felt the girl tugging against sleeve.

"You said there's an even greater danger coming," she posed thoughtfully. "What actual proof do you have, though?"

"Proof?" Cloud repeated as he glanced over his shoulder. "I don't have any proof. It's just a hunch."

"H-Hey!" Yuffie shouted as Cloud began climbing. "That's not an answer! Cloud! Get back here right now!!"

"Bye, Yuffie!" Cloud called over his shoulder.

"Oooh...!" she raged as she stomped her feet against the ground. "Cloud, you're a big jerk! You better not take too long to call me, or else I'm gonna throw this stupid phone out a two story window!"

Cloud laughed silently as Yuffie continued to spew empty threats and warnings at him while he climbed.

"Took you long enough," Tifa remarked dryly as she helped Cloud over the railing. "What were you two talking about?"

Cloud only briefly considered telling her before he dismissed the idea entirely. After all the mental stress she'd been through recently, it wouldn't do to have her worry over something that could be years away from even happening. He would tell her eventually...maybe after she'd had some time to cool down and relax. "Nothin," he answered with a playful grin. "Why? You jealous?"

"N-No!" Tifa huffed with a slight blush as she stormed off into the main part of the ship.

Cloud laughed loudly as he followed her down the stairs and into the cockpit, where Cid had just finished preparations for liftoff.

Glancing up and seeing Cloud's mirth, Cid could only begin to guess as to what may have caused it to happen. "You're unusually lively this morning," he remarked as he puffed away at his cigarette.

"I just got a new outlook on life, is all," Cloud informed him. "The way I see it, you only live once, so why not just enjoy it?"

Cid nodded in agreement, but Cloud couldn't help but feel slightly guilty at what he'd just said. It was certainly true that his perspective had been changed for the better, but he wasn't sure exactly how much of the happiness he was putting on display was truly genuine.

The bleak future he'd dreamed of last night left little room for such jubilation, and yet he had to do something. He refused to brood as he had before, and yet excess euphoria would dull his senses. It was a difficult call to make, and it would take some getting used to, but at the very least, he was interacting with his friends.

"Well, guys," Cid said in a voice tinged with sadness, "I guess this'll be the last time I do this for a while, so I'll say it once more for ole' times sake: where you headed?"

Cloud and Tifa exchanged glances. "Well," Tifa spoke up, "I wanted to go back to Midgar with Marlene, and...well," she trailed off and looked up at Cloud. "I don't know where you want to go, Cloud, but you're always welcome to visit me whenever you like."

"Hm," Cloud put a finger on his chin thoughtfully. "Y'know, it'd kinda be a hassle to have to go _all _the way to Midgar just to see you...what if...I just came with you? Would you mind?"

Tifa's face brightened and she let out a startled laugh. "What? You really mean it?"

"Sure I do. After all, I can't train you if I'm halfway across the world, now can I?"

"Mister Cloud's gonna come live with us?!" Marlene said as she excitedly tugged at Tifa's sleeve.

"Seems that way," Tifa nodded happily. "Then that settles it. Cid! Take us to Midgar!"

"You got it, Ace," Cid chuckled under his breath as he pulled on the acceleration.

Once the ship was on autopilot, Cid took up a chair next to his buddies and pulled out a deck of cards. He claimed that it was just to pass the time, but the look on his face told Tifa that it was just an excuse to hang out before they went their separate ways.

A short time later, he threw up his hands in disgust as Tifa took the winning hand for the third time in a row.

"You don't work in a bar for a decade and not pick up a few tricks," Tifa explained with a sly look on her face.

"Devil's luck, is all!" Cid grunted as he shuffled the cards with renewed vigor. "I'll get you this time!"

"It's useless!" Marlene sighed. "Miss Tifa _always_ wins at cards."

"Tifa!" Cid gasped in mock horror. "You let little children play poker!"

"What?" Tifa shrugged. "It's just a game. Marlene's not half bad, either."

"I learned from the best!" the little girl added. "At least...that's what she tells me to say."

The conversation went downhill from there.

When it seemed as though Tifa and Cid were about to go at each other's throats over accusations of cheating, the Highwind's autopilot let out a signal that they had reached their destination.

The cards were quickly forgotten as the three friends exchanged forced smiles.

"Well..." Cid was the first to speak up. "I...I guess this is goodbye. And good riddance, too." He tried to make it sound like he was being serious, but he failed miserably.

"Look, it's not like we'll never see each other again," Cloud laughed. "We'll see you for the wedding, won't we?"

"W-What wedding?!" Tifa blubbered with a startled look on her face.

Cloud glanced over at her, which in turn caused her to blush furiously as she looked away. "Cid and Shera's wedding, of course!"

Now it was Cid's turn to choke. "W-What?!" he gasped. "Ain't a goddamn chance in hell you'll see me hookin' up with her, much less putting a ring on her goddamn finger!"

"But you like her cooking, don't you?" Cloud persisted.

"That ain't a good reason to get hitched!" Cid scoffed. "Dammit, now you've pissed me off! Look, just get outta here before I beat you over the head with a crowbar!"

"Okay, okay!" Cloud laughed as he retreated to the door. "Take care Cid."

"Huh, whatever..." Cid grumbled as he sat down in his pilot's chair. He put an elbow on the table and rested his chin on his palm; he then proceeded to stare out of the window.

By the time Cloud, Tifa, and Marlene arrived at the entrance to Midgar, the sun was already sitting low on the horizon. At first, Cloud had been hesitant to travel the streets at such a late hour, but Tifa repeatedly assured him that the people of the city were different than they had been before.

Once he finally relented, Cloud quickly stated that he wanted to go see the remains of the Sector Seven Slums, but Tifa reminded him that their first priority was to get home and unpack.

Upon returning to the vicinity of her home, though, the sight of which she had not seen for what seemed like an eternity, she noticed a familiar face wearily trotting down the worn path.

"Marlin? Is that you?" Tifa asked as she ran up to where he was standing and turned him so that she could get a better look at his face.

The surprise on his face was clearly evident, but once it registered that he was actually speaking to Tifa and not her ghost, he let out a joyous laugh. "Tifa!" he said merrily. "It's so good that you're back!"

"It's good to be back!" Tifa agreed hastily. "How is everything? I hope it was too much trouble...to..." She narrowed her eyes and stared at his face. "Marlin, what happened to you? You've got little scratches all over!"

"Oh, well, I...uh," he stammered nervously.

"Oh, no!" Tifa moaned as she covered her eyes with a hand. "You opened the box, didn't you?!"

"I didn't mean to!" Marlin explained hastily. "I was a little tipsy, and some guy dared me to do it!"

"Then explain to me how that qualifies as 'I didn't mean to'!"

"I didn't take any of the gil, I swear!"

Tifa let out a weak laugh. "Marlin, I'm only kidding. I really could care less about the money. I'm just glad you weren't injured any worse than that. Thanks for looking after the place for me, though."

"My pleasure," Marlin bowed regally. "Here are your keys, Miss."

"Thank you," she replied as she retrieved the items from his outstretched palms. "Oh, and Marlin, I don't believe you've ever met Cloud. Cloud, this is Marlin. He's a regular at my bar."

"Pleased to meet you," Cloud said as he held out a hand.

Marlin accepted his invitation, and the two of them exchanged a hearty handshake. "Likewise. You gonna be her bodyguard or something?"

"Something like that, yeah," Cloud chuckled, much to Tifa's chagrin.

"Oh, good!" Marlin sighed. "I was always worried about her stayin' in that place all by herself, and with a little kid, no less. Oh! And speaking of kids...Tifa, there's some little boy who's been hanging around the bar a lot. I've tried to get him to go away, but he won't listen to me. I think he's a few screws loose, if you know what I mean."

"Is that so?" Tifa commented. "You think he's still there?"

"Probably. He was there when I left earlier today. Well, I guess I'll see you guys around, okay?"

"Take care," Tifa smiled as she waved goodbye.

"Are all of your patrons like that?" Cloud commented with a wry smile after Marlin had left.

"He's a little eccentric," Tifa admitted, "but he's a reliable fellow."

"Then what about kids? You get a lot of those hanging around your bar?"

Tifa furrowed her eyebrows. "No, I've never had that happen before...I guess we should go see if he's still there."

They didn't need to walk very far, for her home and bar was just around the next bend. Sure enough, there was a little boy huddled near the staircase with his chin propped against his knees. When they approached him, he neither looked or nor gave any indication that he even knew they were there.

"Hey," Tifa spoke gently. "You all right? I hear you've been hanging around a lot. Are you lost?"

The boy looked up at her with a vacant stare. "...No."

"Then where are your parents? They must be worried about you!"

"They're dead," the boy stated so casually that Tifa took a step backwards.

"Wha...? Dead?" she repeated slowly.

"Yeah," the boy nodded.

"Don't you have any aunts or uncles?" Marlene spoke up. "Can't you go live with them?"

"They're dead, too," the boy told her. "Once everyone was gone, I just kept walking and walking...I didn't really know where I was going, but...when I got to this place," he said as he looked up at Seventh Heaven bar, "I just felt like I had to stay."

"Surely there must be someone who can help you?" Tifa posed.

"No one will help an orphan these days," the boy replied with a hint of anger. "We're all on a road to oblivion, and everyone needs to look out for themselves."

Tifa's eyebrows furrowed as her thoughts drifted back to the night she'd first met Kether.

"_You do not see merely because you do not want to see_," he had told her. "_This world is vast. There are towns you have not been to, people you have not seen- all of these that you are unaware of- but just because you do not know of them doesn't mean that they aren't there. People _are_ suffering_. _People _are_ dying..._"

Her heart nearly broke at the thought of these words. At the time, she'd had a hard time believing them, but now, sitting right before her, was the proof.

Kneeling down so that she could look at him, she lifted his chin with her hand. "What's your name, little one?" she asked.

"My name?" he repeated with a confused look on his face. "It's...D...Denzel. Yeah, that's it! Denzel!"

"Okay, Denzel," Tifa nodded as she got to her feet. Glancing around, she noticed that Cloud was nowhere to be seen. Looking down at Marlene, she asked, "Did you see where Cloud ran off to?"

"He told me he was going to the Sector Seven Slums," Marlene informed her. "He said that he'd be back in time for dinner, and that you shouldn't worry about him."

"I see," Tifa replied thoughtfully. It was just like Cloud to run off without her even realizing it. She'd gotten an idea, and she wanted to know what he thought of it, but since he wasn't here, well, he just wouldn't have a say in the matter!

"Denzel," she addressed the boy, "are there any other children around here who have lost their parents?"

"They're everywhere," Denzel admitted. "But they don't show themselves much. I think they must be afraid."

"Well, I'll tell you what," Tifa smiled. "Why don't you go find some of them and bring them here? I'll be making dinner, soon, and I'll bet you all could use a good meal."

Denzel looked up at her with a shocked expression. "W-Wh...you really mean it?!" he gasped.

"Yeah!" Tifa nodded with a smile. "Find as many as you can- the more the merrier. We'll get you all cleaned up, and you can stay at my place for as long as you want. Consider my home your home. How does that sound?"

Denzel's mouth merely hung open in astonishment.

"Go on, now," Tifa laughed as she pulled him to his feet and gave him a little shove to get him started. "And hurry back, okay?"

"O-Okay!" Denzel smiled. In return, he reached out and embraced Tifa with all of his might. "Thank you so much!"

With that, he ran off into the streets and quickly disappeared.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Tifa smiled weakly and looked down at Marlene. "What do you think, Marlene? Do you think one person can make a difference in this world?"

"I think," Marlene stated, "that as long as you're willing to try, it makes all the difference in the world."

"Hm." Tifa looked up at the evening sky and pondered aloud: "I wonder what Kether would say if he were here, right now. Would he think I'm a fool? Would he be glad that I'm helping the very people he had tried to help?"

"He would," Marlene spoke up softly. "I know he would."

Tifa looked down at Marlene with admiration. The finality of her words left little room for doubt. It was almost as if...Kether had whispered his answer directly into the little girl's ears.

FFVII

Cloud walked slowly through the abandoned church with a heavy heart. How many years had it been since he'd set foot in this place? The very place where his adventure first began?

He was pleased to note that the yellow flowers, at least, were as alive and vibrant as ever. As if compelled by an unseen force, he knelt down next to them and began to pluck them until he had the makings of a tiny bouquet. With the flowers in hand, he slowly got to his feet and began walking.

Walking...on and on, with no particular destination in mind. Outside the city limits and into the vast wilderness of the Midgar planes he journeyed, eyeing the landscape that seemed to come alive as the night drew on.

Tiny animals skittered across the path as he drew near, and the familiar sounds of nocturnal beasts could soon be heard echoing through the night. Yes, the planet was truly alive- as alive as it had ever been.

He had not been wrong. Saving the planet from Sephiroth had been the right thing to do, if only because he would not be standing here, right now, under the clearest of skies with the stars shining over him. There was still a long way to go on the path that spread out before him, but Cloud felt more prepared this time. Prepared to accept whatever destiny had been given to him, and prepared to face it without reservation.

He paused briefly and glanced behind where he had already been. The lights of the city of Midgar slowly began to flicker on in a dazzling array of color that added renewed majesty to the indomitable spirit of humanity. Yes, humanity was worth saving as well- maybe even more so that the planet, itself, for while the planet may give life to humans, it is shaped by the will of humanity, and is thus subject to it. Whether that will be for good or evil, it was the responsibility of every person to make sure to live the life that the planet had bestowed upon them with grace and dignity until the time came for them to take their final breath, when they would be reunited with their mother and reborn anew.

Here. This was the place.

Pulling out his Buster Sword, he laid it out on the ground and knelt down next to it. He placed his yellow bouquet on the ground nearby and closed his eyes.

"I do not know what the future holds for me," he said quietly to himself, "but I will accept it without hesitation, because it is my future- to make of it what I will. Would that I had my way, I would never have a need to take this sword in my hands ever again, but I know that a time may come when it is necessary. If that is the case, then I will take up my blade once more...but not for myself. From this moment on, I will try to live...and fight for the sake of others. Because it is only then that a person is truly alive.

"Aeris...and Tifa. Without you, I would not be where I am today. I know I can never repay you, but it may help, in some small way, to know that it was because of you that I now find the courage I need to face my destiny. No matter what happens...I will love you both...now and forever."

A refreshing breeze blew over the plains and valleys of the land that seemed to carry on its shoulders the hopes and dreams of humanity. Looking up at the stars, Cloud saw more clearly than ever before the beauty of the universe that surrounded them. Yes, truly this was a life worth living.

And somewhere in the distance, the sound of children's laughter could be heard echoing through the night.

Final Fantasy VII: Orchrist

Fin


End file.
